Year: 1878

perhaps is greatest and most dangerous WIN
persons of certain degree Of intelligence and
intense fanaheism. Men not more insane than
Wilkes Booth can be so jnfamed by passion
and prejudice that they fancy murder a
glorious act. When murder grows from civil
war, those who preached rebellion are respOn-
sbe, and when murder grows from Social
istic agitation those who have preached Social
ism are responsible. They have kindled the
passions which kill by exploding they have
scattered the loose powder, and thrown the
lighted torch.


II may readily be credited that the shrewd
leaders of Socialism look upon the shooting OF
Kaiser William with profound regret. Ihey can
see, if crazy followers cannot, that powerful
reaction against the teachings of Socialism Will
follow. The notion that the personal popu-
larity of the monarch had greatly retarded the
spread of Socialism in Germany may have
been in measure correct. But 1t can hardly
be doubted that adherence of assassination,
and perception of the fact that sociallstic
teachings tend to cause assassination, VIII nave
even more effect than the personal popularity
of the aged monarch to check those
teachings. The more popular the ruler
thus assalled by an assassin. the more
keen will be the realization OF the british ana
dangerous tendency of SOcialistic teachings. In
law-xespecting and Order-Oving Germany es-
peciaIly there is a natural dread OF the
tendency which sent so many OF the
unrest and the best in France to the gull
lotine, and so desOlated that country with
anarchy that Napoleon and his "whif OF
" grapeshot" " were welcomed as a relief 1t is


f.. h. 70
spirit which speeds the bullet of an assassin
at the heart of much-lOyed King. Is pre-
cisely that which in France sent King and
Queen, aristocrats and suspects to one
common slaughter, and made anarchy and
bloodshed familiar to Frenchmen Tor more
than half a century.


The people of this country also have pecu-
lar interest in this latest manifestation OF the
tendencies of Socialism. Their peace and order
are threatened also. We have no monarch,
bnt Socialism, as was recently shown by the
Rev. Mr. Oerter threatens n republic
MS much as a monarchy it is hostile to
every form of government which main
tains rights of property. Anarchy may
be produced, perhaps even more easily III
a republic than in a monarchy, by success
full appeal to popular passion and prejudice In
time of general distress. Here, even more
than under a monarchy, there is prevalent
disposition TO hold the Government response
BILE for all misfOrtunos, so that even
if the eel-pots are not filed, some
unlucky man will fancy that change
in the Government is therefore needed.
I'M this, as in all other civilized cOun-
tries, there is general prostration Of business.
Nor do we lack INSCRIPTIONS demagogues to
inhame popular feeling, to encourage the
notion that all disasters are due to the
Government, and to suggest conspiracies
and reyolts, burnings, riots and murders,
as the necessary remedies. If we look
closely the flames at Pittsburg in 1877
and the fash of the assassin's gun at Berlin
in 1879 mean the same thing. The same des-
perate, law-defying, property hating, ana
blooCethirsty spirit is seen in both cases the
same mad notion that society may in some
way be improved by infamous crimes. Ger
many will probably be aroused, by the at
tempted murder of the Emperor, to treat So
ciahsts as public enemies. II will be well for
this country if it needs no sharper lesson than
that of the Summer of 1877.