PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 40

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Anarchism.

Sixty years ago, in "Sartor Kesartus," Carlyie described the proletariat on the one side and the plutocrat and aristocrat on the other, under the names of tbe Drudge and the Dandy, and wrote :— " To the eye of the political seer, their mutual relation, pregnant with the elements of discord and hostility, is far from consoling. These two principles of dandiacal self-worship or demon worship, and the poor-slavish or drudgical earthworship, in their roots and ramifications extend through the entire structure of society and work unweariedly in the secret depths of English national existence, striving to separate and isolate it into two contradictory, uncommunicating masses." He then describes how each side is marshalling its forces for the great struggle, the one side hourly increasing its numbers, the other confident of its powers and not at all desirous of increasing its ranks, because that means a greater division of the .good things of life. "In numbers, and even individual strength, the poor-slaves or drudges, it would seem, are hourly increasing. The dandiacal, again, is by nature no proselytising sect; but it boasts of great hereditary resources, and is strong by union ; whereas the drudges, split into parties, have as yet no rallying point ; or at best only cooperate by means of partial secret affiliations."

And then. Carlyie makes a cast into tbe futare. "Tome it seems probable that the two sects will one day part England between them ; each recruiting itself from the intermediate ranks till there be none left to enlist on either side. These dandiacal Manicheans, witb the host of dandyising Christians, will form one body ; the drudges gatherirjg round them whatsoever is Drudgical, be he Christian or infidel pagan, sweeping up likewise, "all manner of utilitarians, radicals, refractory potwallopers, and so forth into their general mass, will form tbe other." Then these two forces are likened to two whirlpools gradually increasing their diameter and decreasing the distance between them " till now there is but a footplank, a mere film of land between them. This too is washed away ; and then— we have tbe hell of waters, and Noah's deluge is out-deluged I " Further, he compares the two great forces oalled into existence by the present industrial 'system, two eleotrical machines, ■with batteries of opposite quality. Drudgism the negative battery, attracts to it all

the hanger ; the positive, all the money, " and there stands the two world batteries. The stirring of a child's finger brings the two together; and then — What then? The earth is but shivered into palpable smoke by that doom's thunder peal " Are these two electricities coming together now 7 Is Carlyie the seer of the nineteenth century ? Perhaps he is. Who shall say 7 A fortnight ago the ist of May was a day of terror throughout many parts of Europe. The danger to the whole population was not very alarmiDg, still as the danger threatened was a vague secret, and its extent nnknown, it became correspondingly magnified and feared.

The anarchism of which the crimes of the past month have been the outcome was founded by Proudhon and Bakunin, the latter being, according tc the destructive Socialists, the apostle of the movement, and according to his enemies a "hell-hound." His instructions to his followers are plain enough: "Every genuine revolutionist has but one science— simple destruction ; and to this end he studies mechanics, physics, chemistry, and perhaps medicine. . . He despises public opinion, and. hates the present social ethics in all their motives and manifestations. For him everything is moral which favours the triumph of the revolucion ; everything immoral and criminal which hinders it." And if you draw attention to his cruelty in wagering destructive war he retorts— " Nothing can be worse than the anarchy and bloodshed which are ever going on daily in the midst of what is called in irony civilisation. That civilisation we'mean to sweep away utterly by war. To us all weapons are lawful, and all your talk of morality is fiddlesticks. Force is being used against the people ever hour ; we use foree — the scientific resources of your civilisation— in reply." In short, according to the Anarchist everything must be levelled down and ajfresh 3tart made. He forgets, however, that the human nature of the present day is the evolved product of past centuries, and that his bloodthirsty instincts and blindness can only be obliterated by the education of successive generations. He is, then, a " hellhound," to be hunted without mercy. At the same time the very existence of socialism, of which anarchy is the worst phase, shows that the present condition of society has much to answer for, and the sooner it is reformed the better. If any one of you wish to read a little fuller on this subject, a chapter or two of Hyndman's " Historical Basis of Socialism in England " will be interesting.

ANARCHISM IN AUSTRALIA.

Perhaps it will be news to many of yon that Anarchism has taken root in the Island Continent. There is a paper published in Queensland on co-operative principles, the whole staff being under the direct control of the shareholders. Perhaps in all Australia no paper wields suoh a direct power over what is called " the worker " than this small sheet does on Queensland workmen. We have no conception of its freedom of speech, nor of the despotism of the organizers of the unions it mainly represents. In the Worker of April 9th are published the contents of two Anarchistic leaflets which are said to have been scattered broadcast over the principal centres of population in Australia. One headed " Manifesto to Australian Workmen " openly and boldly speaks against "the fatal privileges of property and the authority which enforces them," and adds that the festering corpses that line the bed of the Yarra, and thewaifs and wrecks that haunt the back slums of the city and suburbs cry out against all who won't use force, as accomplices who have .aided in murdering them bodily and morally. A second leaflet headed "Anarchy" preaches communism— i.e., " all things free . and every man according to his need," and shows that the Australian Anarchist is built on similar lines to the European one. Here are a few clauses, for I think it is just as well we should know " what'g what."

To become free every man must act freely and be ready to maintain his right by force at all times. This, then, is the revolution to which we must look forward !— the multiplication of such Individuals of Revolt supported by the Brotherhood and unity of purpose of all the awakened people.

(This and the following agree with Hyndman.who describes Anarchy as Individualism ran mad).

But so long as the people trust to leaders they must fail. Every centralistic organisation will ruin the result beforehand.

As, indeed, seems to have been the case in Europe. Leaders have been entrapped and organisations laid bare ; nor has there been, as far as the telegrams show, any federation among the various societies. The following are the concluding paragraphs of the leaflet : — The revolution must be accomplished. Governments, written and unwritten laws, rank, privilege, must be swept away. Authority iv all its forms must be annihilated.

Ownership and officialdom must be superseded by Communism and Anarchf, the absolute and unlimited liberty of each, secured by the absolute and unlimited liberty of all.

The editor of the Worker reminds us that he is not an Anarchist, but a State Socialist — one who believes in land nationalisation and the State control of industries, but at the same time makes no secret of the fact that " the ex-editor of a North Queensland paper, the master- woikman of a Southern Knight of Labour Assembly, one of the most prominent of Australian lecturers, and several prominent labour leaders are enthusiastic believers in Anarchism." The present outburst of Socialism has been called the jubilee of Chartism. It is to be hoped that the centennial celebration will be attended with joy, not with fear and violence. Perhaps, some day soon, I'll outline the causes that have led up to the distinctive Socialism of the present day.

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