Year: 1878

The Chicago papers are full of "Com.


munism." i continues to excite an un'


easy feeling there and elsewhere. There


seems to be q nervous awaiting of trouble
an apprehension that the terrible


scenes of last summer may be repeated
during the next. The facts are these:


A considerable number of operatives in


Chicago have provided themselves with
arms and ammunition; they have done


this secfetly; they are said to have drill
ed. 1t is consequently apprehended that
in the probable event of a general strike,
they intend to do battle with the author
tiles who may seek to preserve order and


to protect property. The strike is look
ed for before the last of May, and there
is no hope of a peaceable one. Mere in
ertia has become obsolete Strikers no
longer content themselves with idleness.
The simplicity of the old fashioned turn
out has disappeared. Strikers have got
beyond that. They are content no long
er with mere moral operations, with ar
resting production. They have stuffed
themselves full of astonishing doctrines
and unprincipled principles. sTheir ideas
are all the more mischievous because
they are not particularly clear Commun-
ism means a general confscation and alb
olition of property. Socialism means an
equal distribution of property Laborers,
it is claimed, have a right to dictate
terms to capitalists, while capital has no
rights which labor is bound to respect.
They talk lovely. They are prepared,
should occasion serve, to act illegally.
They use great many phrases which
have no meaning whatever. For the
sake of their phrases they are ready to
dissociate society.


We do not intend here and now to dis
cuss these doctrines. When men buy
guns, the time for argument has gone by.
When men organize themselves into reg
iments, they must be met by the regi-
ments of law and order Muskets mean
mischief. 1t is said that the American
Commune" is 2S0,000 strong, and is still
growing stronger. If so, though we hard
ly believe the story, peaceful people ought
to be ready to become warlike at a mo-
ment's notice. So they think in Chicago
The Board of Trade has subscribed So, $500
for the better arming and equipment of
the police. The packers, the commission
men, the elevator men, are putting down
their money handsomely. The Cover
nor of Illinois has placed himself in COM
munication with the civil and military
officers of Chicago The militia regi-
ments have been supplied with ammuni-
ton. The newspapers bristle with warn
ings printed in the largest of type. These
precautions may suffice. There may be
no important outbreak of the mob,spirit
in Chicago. The philosophers with
breech-loaders may consider discretion to
be the better part of valor. A bold and
determined front, with law on its side,
usually has a wonderful effect upon the
most voluble reformer. He can do no
mischief unless he catches the body pol.
tic asleep, as he did last summer. We
are told that the headquarters of the
american Commune" are in New Y York
1t is not likely to undertake any local
operations in this city. If there are any
men of sense among the leaders here,
they will try to innoculate their associ-
ates elsewhere with something of their
own prudence. This will be better than
misleading their brethren in Lynn, Rich
mond, Chicago, and San Francisco into
bloody mischief. The country has SOW
ereign respect for the right of every man
to work for whom he pleases and for
what he pleases. This is fast ceasing to
be question of wages. 1t is becoming
a question of right and wrong, of honesty
and robbery. In such a contest the
country will take care of itself Order
only is formidable Disorder is coward
ly, and lacks persistence. THE Ameri-
can Communists" can have ample evi-
dence that the Union is not yet ready
for anarchy, if they persist in promoting