New-York tribune., 1919-05-23
Bolshevism as a Bugaboo

ficaton. 1t is of doubtful advantage as
a bugaboo. The word comes to have
little more meaning than any other lazy,
catch-all slang term used to express dis
approval or opprobrium.
Are you against measure? 1t is
Bolshevisr. Are you for or against Sun
day baseball? Bolshevst, because it un-
looses an ancient restriction, or because
to restrain the human impulse is to plant
seeds of dangerous dissatisfaction. Boil
shevist this and Bolshevist thatl The
new skirts of the women and the new
coats of the men are symptomatic. High
wages and low wages--both are Boil
shevist.
We enter a plea, probably a vain one,
to save the word from fatal dilution, and
call a murrain on all derivatives, meta
phors, applications and epithetical at
tempts to capitalize prejudice. Let
Bolshevism carry its own sins, numerous
enough, without being used as a univer-
sal scapegoat. Sociology might not be
the difficult science it is if it's first
savants, like those of botany, had re-
sorted to dead language for rigid clas-
styling terms. Half arguments are be-
tween those who use words in different
senses.
Bolshevism is important enough to be
studied in its own person. It is a pro-
posal to end capitalism by violence. AS
c,,ch II p+o
greatest object lesson mankind has
known since perfected communications
made the world one great whispering
gallery, with the newspaper providing a
sounding board unknown in the dumb
ages, when silencers were on the doings
Of other men.
The ferment itself is nothing new.
Property was held to be theft CEN
turies before Proudhon fathered the
phrase Montesquieu argued for ma.
tional workshops and that the state owed
every man living. Francis of Assist
and Jack Cade, saint.and roysterer, were
together on the principle that only the
poor were righteous. The sores of Laz-
arus-these have always been reproach
to Dives
The novelty is in the large scale trial
of the idea. One searches history in
vain to find another example of 100.-
100000 people denying the validity of
personal possessions and saying none
should hire or be hired. Here is an am
bilious experiment, we'll worth watching
IN all sobriety.
How does the scheme work? The
world is incredulous, but was similarly
incredulous when this country launched
the first large scale application of de-
mocracy To every generation comes a
knocking at the door, and unless. as with
Macbeth, evil work is inside, there is no
call for shudder. Mankind bars no
portal against a possibly good visitor.
What if the Russian dreamers, educated
at the knee Of Karl Marx were right?
The supreme question was not what
Bolshevism did to the bourgeoisie, but
what it did to the proletariat. If it
demonstrably advanced average happi
ness, nothing could stay it. If Russia
had solved the problem, had given form
and actuality to the IDEAL no accelerat
ing propaganda was required to secure
imitation.
The dividends Of Bolshevism to the
proletariats are Of paramount interest.
1t is unfortunate to have the clearness
of the news clouded by arguments,
prophecies, deductions and differences.
Honest reports from the laboratory are
of more value than all the speculations
and predictions. Is Russia becoming a
land where an average human being
might prefer to live? Do people pass
from misery to happiness. through Boil
shevism? These are the vital questions.
The best way to meet Bolshevism is to
get and spread all accurate information
from Russia. Not by fear but bv
knowledge, are it's evils to be combated.
Those afraid Of 1t as an insidious enemv
lurking in the shadows; those who beat
the tomtom of alarm whenever a twig is
heard to break or leaf to rustic con-
tribute to creating state Of suspicion
friendly to ignorant revolution; those
who confuse the public by dragging it
into irrelevant alleys distract attention
from the main consideration