The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-03-26
Observations
Anarchism Fad
of Eighties Now
Thing of Past
By CharIeI STEWART

BY Charles Stewart
Il is odd how completely thu
philosophy OF Anarchism has beer
lost sight OF in the current genera
lions jam OF Communism, Nazism
Fascism and Fslsngism,
About 90 years ago AnsrchiSn
had quite formidable following
OF worldwide proportions. II had
no such locally dominant orgsniza
Tons as some OF our more modern
'isms' have today. When a group
OF its disciples attempted an Out.
break in some particular area. the
normal authorities there suppress
ed in a hurry
II early believers in AnarChlsm
had been able to concentrate upon
some comparatively limited piece
OF real estate and hang onto it
for half a generation. as did the
Fascists and Nazis. they might
have. today, Z modicum OF results
to 7oint to. pridefully.
But the weakness OF Anarchy,
is that il cannot concentrate,
Its fundamental principle Is.
simple, no government OF any
kind.
Therefore, il totally lacks direc-
ton and sprawls around in every
direction. getting nowhere. An
srchists generally are rated as
avid outlaws. Ia reality they are
simply super-crsnks Cor were. for
none OF them are left now. OF 4
very Christian type, il permitted
10 get away with it.
Their theory is that nobody
should boss anybody.
II the thing would work, II
would be the ultimate OF democrs-
cy, bat il is like saying there is
no evil. which, il correct, is only
theoretically so.
think this sltruistic dope prob
ably dates back into the begin
ming OF the Christian. area. but it
was not until the early lSS0's that
Prince Peter Kropotkin OF Rus
STA really began to publiciZe il.
The prince. as one of the cars
subjects, naturally had had his eN
perience with the ills OF outright
despotism. He fought them effec-
tively-of course from exile.
But when the time was ripe for
Kropotkinstic resdjustment OF
Russia. Prince Peter was out OF
the picture and Nikolai Lenin was
Communistically lit. with him
self as dictator. Then. presently,
Josef Stain took over.
Anarchy and Communism are
the positive and the negative OF
an ideal.
In Italy. Benito Mussolini orig
inaly was an Anarchist. AS such,
he was Just an exaggerated form
OF democrat. lie squeaked into
power on what looked like pretty
legitimate grounds. He doubtless
really considered himself genu-
inc democrat at the outset, and
developed into a despot accident
ally.
Maybe that is how Adolf Hitler.
started. too.
Gen. Francisco Franco OF Spain
had a harder struggle. His coun-
try fought for purer democracy.
He did not want it, but he hung
on. as the wrong king OF a guy.
The Anarchists, though, have
gone flooey completely.
o Yet the fact is that they DO
have a forgotten influence--not
here in the United States alone.
We had a good.sized uprising
OF them in Chicago in the lSS0's.
II was OF sufficient proportions to
have cost some lives. And We
bumped of a half dozen OF the
disturbers following the celebrat-
ed Hsymarket riots there. Other
countries had their frictions. too.
All OF them were OF Anarchistic
origin.
Anarchism. in those days, was
the whole thing.
All its followers wanted was
no government. When they
rioted. il was in resistance 10 be-
ing dictated TO by any authority
whatever.
Todsys totslitsrian cults aim.
each OF them. at the establishment
OF some sort OF q definitely out
lined system. that its advocates
probably really believe in-at
first. at least Personal ambition
eventually gets its grip on them,
and they cease 10 be even we'll
meaning.
But, from start to finish. their
ideal is the development and main
tensnce OF what they consider
government OF course, with
themselves running it absolutely
and for their own benefit.
Government dad, indifferent or
good and no matter by whom inn
posed. an electorate or a despot-
ism was exactly what the orig
insl Anarchists not only refused
10 subscribe 10. but resisted up
10 the limit OF their ability. They
we're exceedingly remorseless
about IT. and made themselves
violently unpopular among rea.
sonable citizens OF all nationali-