"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."—Prov. 16:18.
The real danger to society at present is not from an uprising of a small handful of anarchists to overthrow law and order, but to the surprise of many let us say, the real danger now, is from friends of the law and order. The success of the law and its servants in properly and deliberately putting down these enemies of the law, will tend toward haughty austerity on the part of many, who feeling, that a large majority favor the law, will be less conciliatory in their dealing, less cautious and considerate of the feelings and equitable rights of others, and more disposed to invoke the arm of the law to their aid whenever possible.
It will be conceded that all the wealthy and all those mechanics and artisans in "comfortable circumstances," are on the side of law and order, and with them are the masses of meagerly educated peace-loving laborers, whose well balanced minds grasp the fact that the educated and skilled artisan and capitalistic energy are necessities, without which they would sink back from present comfort, and advantages, and opportunities of advancement, into the comfortless barbarism of our ancestors. The present victory at Chicago, is the victory of all these over their common enemy, anarchism. But so surely as the feeling of strength shall harden the hearts of the capitalists or employing element of this class, and make them less considerate of the other members of the same class—employees—so surely will the majority of these laborers be gradually driven into opposition, not only to their employers, but also to all laws which do not favor their own selfish interests.
In order that laws shall be respected by the majority, they must be based, not on selfishness, but on justice. And as from time to time, under changing circumstances and increasing knowledge, laws are found to be unjust toward any, all should submit to justice, and such laws should be changed. But as already pointed out in chapter XV. of Millennial Dawn, selfishness will rule on both sides, and will divide the at present law abiding masses of the people and result in the very anarchy now seemingly throttled.
While admitting that labor strikes are generally evils, which oftenest bring loss rather than gain to those who engage in them, and to others dependent upon them, and while admitting that selfishness and injustice often lie at the bottom of trades-unions, we are ready to admit that sometimes they may be necessary, to obtain justice.*
*To protect each other's interests under existing conditions it seems as proper for men to combine their talents in a trade union as to co-operate in a joint stock company for trade or manufacture; but for either a trade union or a joint-stock company to attempt selfishly to serve its own interest by forcing others out of trade, or out of employment is contrary to both human and divine laws, and is grossly unjust. For this reason conscientious, righteousness-loving children of God must there draw the line and have no part in intimidating or injuring others, however necessary or expedient for their own interests such a course might appear.
The employing class, blinded partially by selfishness so that they are unable to see the necessity and justice of self-protection by organization, on the part of the employed class, associates in mind and in private conversation (though not often publicly) all trades-unionists with anarchists; and they think of the victory over anarchism at Chicago, as a victory over trades-unionists in general. They think they see in the very general failure of strikes during this year, and finally the hanging of the anarchists, evidence of the power of capital over all opposition, and many now claim that the "heroic treatment" of crushing out opposition, strikes, etc., is the only sure, and the best plan, and that the holding of conferences, attempts to arbitrate or conciliate etc., only stimulate the employed to ask more and unreasonable things. (And this last point is too true.)
The splitting of labor organizations into factions, and contentions between these now imminent, threatens two dangerous results: First, the effect will be to strengthen the hand of capitalists, permitting selfishness to have the greater control of their consciences and conduct, making them sometimes haughty and inconsiderate of the interests and rights of others: Secondly, the effect upon laborers, artisans, etc., will be to discourage them from present hopes of legally, at the ballot-box, by united effort, obtaining such changes of laws as changing circumstances, conditions, inventions, etc., may dictate to be just. The result of this despair will be bad. It will change many of these, at present law-upholding people, into law-opposers—anarchists. Thus we see the danger of the present moment, from an opposite quarter to that from which it is generally looked for.
In proof of what we here predict, we cite a few instances which have come under our own observation here in Pittsburg, which surely we are justified in considering as samples of the general sentiment of the land.
(1) On the day of the execution of the anarchists a prominent banker remarked to the writer, that he was glad to see law and order vindicated. To this we assented, but when he proceeded to class as part and parcel of the same victory the political defeat at the polls of the "United Labor Party" in New York, we had to differ. So positive were the gentleman's expressions that discussion on that subject seemed to be useless, and only calculated to make him regard any who might differ with him as anarchists also.
(2) The Sunday following the execution
of the anarchists at Chicago, witnessed
a conflict between various political
and labor societies, and the police and
military authorities in the city of London,
England, occasioned by the prohibition
of a public meeting, which according to
custom the labor societies attempted to
hold, and which they evidently thought
they had a right to hold under the existing
English laws.
Without discussing the
merits of this case we wish merely to note
that in referring to it some of the journals
of this city gave evidence that their views
on the subject of labor organizations and
anarchism are warped in the manner indicated
above.
They declared that Chicago
had given London a practical lesson
in how to deal with anarchists, and that
the firmness of the police and military at
London showed that they were equal to
any emergency.
And we doubt not these
journals voiced the sentiments of their
owners and of a very large class of readers.
Others would read in the telegraphic
column, that many of those who attempted
to hold the London meetings were there
as labor organizations, who carried banners
claiming that they were almost starving,
and wanted not charity, but work,
whereby to honestly provide for their families; [R992 : page 2] and urging upon the government to
enact some laws or start some public
works, whereby they might be kept from
starvation, without being compelled by
necessity to violate law and order, by
confiscating a part of the surplusage of
the luxurious aristocracy, to obtain life's
necessities for those in need.* As the
comfortable American mechanic and laborer
reads this, and the editorial comment
on it which speaks of artisans as
anarchists, he against his will is forced to
conclude that in the opinion of his fellow
citizens, as voiced by the Press, all wage-workers
are counted as anarchists.
This
is what the executed anarchists tried to
instill into them, viz.: that all physical
laborers are of one brotherhood, and all
mental laborers of another; and that the
former should all be anarchists and oppose
the latter.
They resisted the imputations
and doctrines of anarchy only
to find that many of their law-abiding
fellow citizens more comfortably fixed in
life, are in array against them, and name
and treat them as anarchists.
They are
not slow to feel an angry resentment rising
within them against those who would perforce
classify and name them with anarchists,
and they quickly draw the inference,
that should business here become depressed
as it is in England, and should they desire
to use lawfully their right of free
speech, to make known their necessities,
they too would be dispersed by force, publicly
branded "anarchists," and ultimately forced—by necessity perhaps—to
aid the anarchy of which at first they
were unjustly accused.
*We are convinced that this is not a fancy sketch
as some here might be inclined to think, for a letter
written a few days before this conflict by a WATCH
TOWER reader living in England who himself has
been out of work for some time and is selling
"Dawn" wherever he can, to spread the truth and
help sustain his family until he can get paying work,
says that the destitution is very great among the
poor, many of whom he says can get no work
and have no idea where the next meals victuals
will come from.
He can sell but a few copies a
week, and the rich will not purchase nor even receive
him.
(3) Another illustration of the haughtiness
which the triumph of law over the
anarchists has called forth, is reported in
the secular journals of this city from the
pulpit.
It but illustrates the spirit which
has always been at the bottom of intolerance
and persecution—that "might makes right." It was under this same spirit
that thousands of lives were sacrificed in
the past, and illustrates how willingly the
speaker would, if he could, not only be
a pope to decide what men must think,
but how he would forcibly silence, excommunicate,
and anathematize, all who
would not harmonize with his ideas.
Rev.
N. Woodside, of the First Reformed Presbyterian
church, of Pittsburg, was the
speaker, and his subject was "Protection from Ecclesiastical Anarchists."
He said, as reported in The Times:—
"Ecclesiastical anarchists should not
be allowed to come in and change the existing
order and laws of the Church.
They
have undertaken to authoritatively preach
the Gospel without being ordained.
In
this they are impeaching the wisdom of
Jesus Christ.
They administer the sacrament
in direct opposition to divine law.
The speaker did not care who these expressions
hit."
"These ecclesiastical anarchists must be suppressed, for, there is an effort being
made on the part of some to destroy the
good order that has existed in Christ's
Church."
"I want you to stand out against all
this anarchy.
We must publish the names
of these Church anarchists through the
newspapers so that all the world may
know them—these men who go about
from church to church ingratiating themselves
into the good graces of leading
members and destroying the good order
of the Church."
We know not to whom this gentleman
referred, nor does it matter; it is the
principle that we are discussing.
Seeing
the arm of the law successful against the
anarchists, he greatly desires to use the
same, or any other power against those
who dare to think for themselves, or to
read the Bible without his glasses or his
permission.
To begin this persecution,
and lay a foundation for some further
steps, when action may be more possible,
he brands those he hopes yet to destroy
or silence for ever, as anarchists.
We are not personally acquainted with
the gentleman, but from his use of the
word we doubt if he appreciates the meaning
of the word anarchists, or understands
upon what grounds the political anarchists
were condemned and executed.
The
anarchists were executed, not because
they held different views on political economy,
from the majority—that is not a
crime in this age—nor because they expressed their views,—which all have a perfect
right to do in this age and land—but
they were executed because they went beyond these rights, and threatened and took
the lives of others.
So, if the lives of
members of Mr. Woodside's church have
been threatened or taken, or if their property
has been destroyed or menaced, let
the guilty persons be treated as felons and
anarchists, and let them upon similar conviction,
be dealt with according to law.
But this is not the trouble; no, we understand
the gentleman perfectly.
Thank
God we have not met many with such
sentiments, but we read of them in
history.
The gentleman has merely adopted
a new name for his enemies, those
whom he regards as heretics, stigmatizing
them as "ecclesiastical anarchists," that
thereby he may draw upon them some of
the deserved reproach which attaches to
that name in the estimation of all order-loving
people, and thus to awaken an uncharitable,
unchristian, persecuting spirit.
The same heart and tongue if in the
place of influence a few centuries ago,
instead of saying "These ecclesiastical
anarchists must be suppressed," would
have worded it, "Burn the heretics!"—"Establish an Inquisition!"
Using the gentleman's newly applied
name "ecclesiastical anarchist," as the
synonym for "heretic," let us remind him
of a little scrap of church history, which,
if he ever knew, he has evidently forgotten,
viz:—that when his forerunners
started to think for themselves and left
the "Covenanters," calling themselves "Reformed Presbyterians," they were
counted "ecclesiastical anarchists" (heretics);
and were also accused of "destroying
the good order of the church."
To go
back still further, we find that the "Covenanters"
also began, by a few men
thinking and teaching contrary to the
teachings of the Episcopal Church from
which it broke off, and these too were
counted "ecclesiastical anarchists" (heretics)
by those whom they left.
Going
further still into the past (and that not
three and a-half centuries ago), the Episcopal
Church, or Church of England,
broke off from the Roman Catholic
Church, and all its members were cursed
as (heretics) "ecclesiastical anarchists."
Each of these in turn, has been told by
those they left, that they were "in direct
opposition to the divine law," and that
they were "destroying the good order of
the church" etc.
And the Episcopal and
Roman Catholic churches from which
they came out, to this day declare that no
one can "authoritatively preach the gospel
without being ordained" by them. Thus
we see that Mr. Woodside is an "ecclesiastical
anarchist" of the very sort his words condemn. Scraps of history are very
useful as antidotes for pulpit-rabies.
Thus we have shown evidence from
the Press, the Pulpit and the Bank,
that the danger is not from present real
anarchists, but rather that over-confidence,
pride and tyranny on the part of some will
ultimately force the issue and compel anarchism.
As for the ecclesiastical intolerance
we have long ago pointed out the
probability of an offensive and defensive
combination of all the large denominations
of Christendom for the suppression
of "growth in grace and knowledge" beyond
their lines—somewhat on the order
of the present "Evangelical Alliance."
Our study of the Scriptures which are
"able to make us wise," prepares us for
the time and events Mr.
Woodside longs
for, when, by an ecclesiastical combination,
all small companies of independent
thinkers will be "suppressed."
In the
Scriptures we read the fact that the great ones in politics, finances and ecclesiastical
affairs, will consolidate their power for
a time, but the haughty, proud and unjust
shall fall, and terrible will be the fall.
The events of our day show that these
things are drawing nigh, and though we
pen these words of warning, we have no
hope of altering the course which God
has foretold, but will be satisfied, if we
shall help the few, the little flock scattered
abroad, to discern the times and be on the
Lord's side, the side of right; and prepare
them to endure hardness as good
soldiers of our Master, who indeed peaceable
as a lamb, was also considered an
"ecclesiastical anarchist" by the Chief
Priests and "orthodox" religionists of his
day.
He too whom God had anointed
with his spirit also, to preach the gospel,
was demanded of the Pharisees, "Who
gave thee this authority?" (Matt. 21:23.)
The Apostles' authority also was questioned
by the same class, and they were
cast into prison for daring to preach without permission of the Chief Priests.—Acts 5:17,18,26-28,41,42.
Should the
time of persecution ever again come, let all continue to preach as did the early
church, asking no other authority than the
command of the Lord. Acts 11:19.
All the spirit anointed are members of the
"Royal Priesthood."
"Ye should show
forth the praises of him who called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light"
(1 Pet. 1:9) and "ought to be teachers."—Heb. 5:12.
But it is not needful here, to go to the
Scriptures to prove that all who have the
Spirit of Christ, are not only authorized and
commanded by him, the true head of the Church, to preach, but having the spirit
of the gospel within them, they cannot
refrain from declaring the gracious goodness
of God and his glorious plan of
salvation.