0 40,4 i. N4 k_ 4I -~-I~Ill P i5i ~p~:~:j~ ~1~:3::::~ j:: ~:~~i.:::;;9s88858~~:~:~: Itlllii6 ~i:t.~.~i _::::1 TILE LABkI )IE 'S[1 ()" D)ETROITI 19-2 ANARCHISM AND CRIME. I. Crime is an injury done another by aggres dion. Anyone who injures another by encroaching upon his life, his freedom or his property is a criminal. The law of equal freedom, the essential principle of Anarchism, is a protection to life, lib-,rty and property. Thefore, no Anarchist can take another's life; no Anarchist can absorb as his own the prodicts of another's efforts. To do so is a denial of the fundamental concepts of Anarchism, and brands one as the enemy of Anarchism-as an Archist instead of an An-archist. It is, however, true that once in a while one who holds anarchistic views violates the law of equal freedom. But do not some Christians set at naught the principles of Jesus Christ? some vegetarians eat meat occasionally? some mothers destroy their children? But does the Anarchist invade because he is an Anarchist? does the Christian fly in the face of Christ because he is a Christian? does the hungry vegetarian eat meat because he is a vegetarian? does the mother who slays her child do so because she is a mother? Are not these victims of condi3 tions which drive them to do things contrary to their general principles? It is an old story, however, that of the thief running away with his booty crying "Stop thief!" to divert attention from himself. This is what is being done, what has always been done, by those who profit, or think they profit, by continuing the old Archistic way. Not all who cry thief! thief! are thieves, of course, nor do all of those who cry down Anarchism profit by the reign of Authority. Indeed, does it require argument to show that even among those who cry the loudest against Anarchism are those who are exploited most under the present system of industry, and enjoy least under prevailing social customs? Argument against the present monopoly system is being made everywhere, even in the smallest hamlets. It is being shown everywhere that the State is corrupt to the core. It is quite a disgrace now to be a politician, and for one to hold a political position is usually looked upon with suspicion of wrong doing. Authority never before was dragged into the light of day as at present; and wherever it is uncovered loot is found io its possession or incompetency slinks away branded with dishonor. Where it is not festering with corruption the State is drooling with stupidity. Read the news papers and see it condemned out of its own mouth, see if this is not true. If it he true that crime is injury done othen by aggression, then what is the State but the first criminal in the land? Mention one crime that is not, directly or indirectly, nearly or renotely, traceable to the State-that institution which embodies "the principle of invasion i:n an individual, or a band of individuals, assuiming to act as representatives or masters of the entire people within a given area"--and a thousand (an be named in which it is the positive factor. II. To govern is to -subject the non-invasive individual to an external will. This is the means by which the State commits its crimes. It gives capital the power of increase, and "thru interest, rent, profit andl taxes it robs industrious labor of its products." Indeed. it has been truly,aid by Proudhon that it debases man, prostitutes women, corrupts children, tramnmels love, stifles thot. monopolizes land, limits credit and restricts exchange. What greater crime can be done than to deny the workers free access to land, the source from which all material comforts come? Land originally cost nothing, and what valid excuse exist.' now that unused la nd should be paid for by those-who want to use it? Absolutely none. The ownership of unused, unimproved land restricts the production of wealth, scatters population sparsely over wide areas here or packs it like J sardines in a box there, wastes effort in the building of roads little used, increases the cost of things 4by transporting them greater dlistan(ces than a rational land system would imake necessary enslaves the non-owner to the landlord, and makes a class of parasites that is worse than useless. It would be impossible to enumerate even in a thousand pages all the crimes which the State has committed and continues to commit. This is no idle statement. but the conclusion of some of the best observers of the time. We are told by the great philosophers, historians and scientists that the State originated in violence and crime, and has continued t(o the present day in its original elements, altho nlre refiled and probably less insolent in its assumptions than in earlier periods. but not much. For the State and its partisans to call Anarchists or any other body of people criminals is as if the records of their own guilt were being repeated to the multitudes of earth thru millions of phonographs. 6 i 1.1..: '..': * * *** 1,; 1 6;: -.:I *: *1.:::- '., - 6 the( world is the lmission of Anarchism. It c:mes upon the scene, not with the 'bludgeon of Slie policeman, not with the trappings of the soldier, not with the brass knuckles of the cow-:rdly bully, not with the bomb or the bullet or tite dagger of the assassssin, but with a peaceful mnien. serene, gentle, firm, sincere and helpful,, figure of beautiful proportions, with the light of reason in one hand, an open page in the other, a sunburst of freedom about its smiling face. and in its wake the science of the world contributing its fulness to the comfort and the happiness and the glory of every willing member of society. Ah! what a barrier ignorance is to worldly blessings! Now, why do you call Anarchists bad names? Do you know anything about them? Have you read their literature, found out what they want to do and how they want to do it? If you have not then do you consider it honest, fair, intelligent, to criticise or condemn what you know nothing about? Is it dignified to make yourself ridiculous in the eyes of the well informed? Would you be proud of the knowledge of a friend who insisted the moon is a green cheese? or that the earth is flat and poised on the back of an elephant? Do you malign the Anarchists because they are comparatively few and their doctrines unpopular? Honest injun, is it not the role of an ignoramus to voice opinions on a subjec.t:o which no study has been given? and is it not the part of a coWard, to ruffianly jump on the 'numerically weak? As a concession to ignorance, and on the plea that to do so might lessen opposition and prejudice, a quarter of a century a.o it was suggested that Anarchists change the name of the sect or cult or philosophy, as you will. Indeed, groups did change to Voluntary Socialists, Free Socialists, Voluntaryists, Individualists, Anti-Stateists, and so on. It was siad that people who believe i: passive resistance to wrong, who inist that the social-economic problems which in every corner of the world press for solution must be solved thru the medium of peace, as Anarchists do, should not give themselves a name that was generally considered to mean chaos. It was contended that the word Anarchy to the uncultured mind means disorder, violence, bloodshed. The answer was that indeed it means this only to those unfamiliar with its philosophy and literature, and so the Anarchists have steadfastly refused to change the name. If it starties people and they are led to investigate, as 'sure as day is light and night is dark, adherents will come to it. They know that every body of people, no matter in whalt age, who discovered and propagated a new idea, or an old one in new-form, had to run the gaunlet of prejudice, ignorance, ridicule, abuse, maltreatment of every kind, even to imprisonment and A capitalistic write-up of an Anarchist meeting. death; that even the gentle Jesus, the Graechi, GaHilel, Bruno, and thousands of others, have suffered for opinion's sake, that every new religion, every change in the political form of every government, every social and economic improvement In the conditions of the people, ham had to prove its right to be by wading thru floods of bitter opposition and cruelty and barbarities of every description. But it was hoped this was a more enlightened age than those thru which other reforms had passed; that the days of martyrdoms and thumbscrews and rack could never be revived. Alas! judgment was too soon. The Anarchist is the last to bear the contumely and brutality of the ignorant and the knavish. and so today fatnecks, political and religious: intellectual crooks and prosititutes foolish, idiotic folk who think they know things without the need of study, investigation, observation; monopolists, profitmongers (except here and there one who is better than the system), do not hesitate to vilify the Anarchist. IV. All who believe in authority and government, in the sense in which these words are used, and therefore deny freedom, can consistently resort to violence and crime, because to hold arbitrary, physical force control over others is itself a crime. Aggression, denial of freedom, of individual sovereignty, is the fundamental concept of their scheme of politics. Slavery in every form is injury done those over whom mastership is exercised, and what is slavery but forcible control of others? Why does anyone want to control others if not to reap where he's not sown? IO Why does anyone want more land than he can personally use if not to more firmly grip powier over his fellows for unsocial purposes? Why does the banker ask special privileges in B4 l the issuance of money if not to get an underholt on those who have no such privileges, if not to get more than he gives? Why does the politician strive so strenubusly to get office if in some way the office gives him no unequal advantage over others? But he who believes in freedom, in Anarchism (if he live in harmony with his philosophy), II cannot exercise unnatural, artificial advantages over his fellows. He is willing to take his chaeces in the open, without privilege or coercio(n or violence. He will not even profit by his neighbor's ignorance, as this is only another way of enslaving his weaker brother. There is no.difference in kind if one be stripped by physical force or cunning. The.Anarchist is willing that people either co-operate or compete, as they themselves individually determine, and he will not monopolize of nature's forces more than is necessary for his own use. It hag been said that the Aniarhists should he preveLted from carrying the red flag, and indeed the authorities of the State have been invoked to prevent then doing so. But why? Do you prevent the Irish from carrying green or yellow flags? Do you protest against church organizations, social or civic bodies or anybody el:e from carrying whatever kind of flag or banner they choose? Is it because Christ's banner was crimson? or that the battle of Bunker 11111 Was fought under the red flag? or that it always was the color of the flags of the poor and downtrodden and revolutionary? Come, noW, honor bright, do you know why you rail at the ted flag? Isn't it because you don't know any better, and this makes you a bigot and blatherskitet - ^ /. *.. / 1:. ^: *: Here is the difference between the Red Flag Iad every other flag: Every other flag stands for but a single group or nation while the red flag is universal in its character and signifi-. cance, symbolizing universal brotherhood. Anyway, Anarchists do not pin their faith to the colotr of a piece of cloth. They don't care iarticularly for any kind of a flag, and would not fight for any They're not so foolish. Bulls ":et ingry and fight over a red rag, and how silly for human beings, supposed to have more sense, to do the same! As a matter of fact, however, there is no such thing as an anarchist:: flag. Kings, capitalists, monopolists and politicians keep peoples divided and contentious with fool notions about flags and patriotism, just as tho either gave honest Labor in any 1;ild bredi and butter and shelter and freedom. V. Anarchists want to be 'judged by the principles they themselves hold and their behavior, and not by what either their fool friends or enemies may say of them, or what a single individual says or does. The capitalistic newsipapers are not just criterions, because they are published to make money, and it does not pay to tell the truth about Anarchists. The public is tbadiehed with sensation, and, as a drunkard, olate what it-s own hurt. Would you like to 13 be judge&d by your enemies? Do you really think they woiuld be just to you? Would they bb likely to? Well, neither do Anarchists want to he judged by their foes. They want to be estimated by what they really stand for. They want you to read anarchistic books and papers:-the writings of Proudhon, of Sir Auberon Herbert, John Henry Mackey, Tucker, Tandy, Stephen Pearl Andrews, Josiah Warren, Kropotkin, Tolstoi, Herbert Spencer, Emerson, Thoreau and others who stand for freedom. Of course, they don't all agree in every particular; but neither do the spokesmen of the authoritarian school. Individual Anarchists differ in. the manner of presenting Anarchism as do other people in expounding their philosophies or doctrines. Do all democrats or republicans or prohibitionists or trades unionists or authoritarian socialists or monarchists or catholics or protestants or any other body agree in everything? In order to find out the essentials in each one of these fellowships, cults, societies or whatever you choose to call them, one must find out those things in which there is agreement. Now, all Anarchists believe in Freedom, the freedom of the individual to do what he wills, so long as he does not by aggression injure another. This applies to every walk of life. The individual must be his own soverign, must be responsible 14 for his own conduct, must be free to do or not do whatever he chooses within the realm of non-invasion, of what Spencer calls equal freedom. SAs to methods, nearly all of them believe in the efficacy of peaceful means in accomplishing their objects, such as the boycott or taboo, the general strike or refusal to serve an opponent. education as to the needs and rights of the individual in society, persuasion, appeal to personal and class interests-passive resistance in every form. Some of them, like Tolstoi, for example, even go so far as to advocate non-resistaance and the doing of good to those who do you evil. This certainly is mild enough for the gentlest and meekest of men. I am glad. to say most Anarchists are more worldly and practical than this. I wouldn't advise you to assault one without very good cause and expect to get off with a whole skin. VI. Now, have you any true idea what Anarchism aims to do? You have been told they want to kill the rich and divide their goods equally: that every Anarchist goes about like a battleship, armed to the turret with whiskey bottles and dynamite and daggers and guns andc bombsi If you believe this kind of stuff then you are Indeed as gullible and foolish as the plunder15 bund, press, pulpit and politicians think you are. It is quite natural, however, for one inclined to these things himself to think others are also. In the absence of knowledge to the contrary one is apt to judge others by himself. Nearly every, assassination, every murder, crime of every description against public men and women for years past has been imputed to Anarchists. It is a wonder they were not charged with the killing of Lincoln and Garfield and Goebel:.l Harrison and others. Indeed, President McKinley's death was certainly taxed to Anarchism, notwithstanding the fact that it was proven that the poor unfortunate Czolgosz was a republican voted at republican primaries, and no doubt was insane as the result of a boyish vice. These facts come to me by letter from Peter Witt, city clerk -of Cleveland while Tom L. Johnson was mayor. Mr. Witt will undoubtedly give you the facts too if you ask him. "Czolgosz was not an Anarchist," writes Mr. Witt. "To charge that he was is simply ridicilous. He was * * * insane. In politics he was a republican, and as such voted at the republican primaries for several years. This fact I brought out shortly after the assassination by going over the election records. These records have since been destroyed, not because of what they contained btjt to make room for 16 later ones. His father and brothers voted at the same primaries." This ought to forever silence the criminal charge that Anarchism was responsible for the assassination of McKinley. But it probably will not. This kind of a lie dies hard. i'rom my point of view the killing of another; except in defense of thuman life, is Archistic, authoritarian, and, therefore, no Anarchist can do so. It is the very opposite of what Anarch-;.i standil for. (an one be an Anarchist and tdo Archistic acts any more than one can do antichristian deeds and be a christian at the same time? Can one steal and be honest? Can one go east and west simultaneously? Is up and dcown the same thing? "We must study the causes to which the annual recurrence of crimes in all countries is due," says Ferri in his Positive School of Criminology "These are natural causes, which I have classified under the three heads of anthropological, telluric and social Every crime, from the smallest to the most atrocious, is the result of the miteraction of these three causes, the anthropological condition of thd criminal, the telluric environment in which he is living, and the social/environment in which he is born, living and operating. * * "Want," he says, "is the strongest poison for - i-. i7 :he human body and soul. It is the fountain (head of all inhuman and antisocial feeling. Where want spreads out its wings, there the cwntimeonts of love, of affection, of brotherhood, tare impossible, "Crime," he continues on another page, "has its natural source in the conibined interaction of three classes of causes, the anthropological (orgi:nic and psychological) factor, the telluric factor, and the social factor. And by this last feator we must not only mean want, but any other cond(ition of administrative instability in political, moral, and intellectual life. Every social condition which makes the life of man in society insecure and imperfect is a social factor contributing towards criminality." When it is difficult or impossible to earn a living by honest methods, then it is maintained by crime, by taking the means of sustaining life by theft, chicane or murder. Anarchism would make it easier to earn a living honestly and therefore tends toward the reduction of crime. Let me tell you briefly what Anarchism aims to do: It claims that freedom, liberty, is the greatest factor in bringing material comfort and happiness to the people, and so Anarchism would reduce gradually, even to the vanishing point, the political power and physical control which ^ - " / '.':' ': l 18;:. ' *Is.; smiie lpeople hold over others. It warfsts to make,fll miunsedl land free t fhose who will use it. This will dispenne with THE STATE. The State is those persons who claim masters&hip over all the people within a given area. Assumption cutting the firsf letter that designates its purpose--,or the coloksal expense of supporting the lnndlordi class and increase the wealth-producing powerT by turnlnug latdlords and the dtiseinployed poor '9 from parasites to producers. It wants to make the issuing of currency. money, the tool of exchange, call it what you will, as free as the issuing of a personal note or mortgage. This would wipe out the interestakers and make them more useful to society. It wants to do away with patent- and copyrights. This would turn the vast une rned sums that now go into the pockets of privilege into the comforts and homes of the producers, and increase the amount of machinery, books. etc., and at less cost. There is no justice in making property of ideas. It wants to substitute voluntary co-operation and really free competition for the present State, under which things are worth more than human beings, abolishing the politician, with his arbitrary physical power as manifested by the police, the army and the navy, which are now supported by taxes forcibly collected from the people. It believes so:diers. policemen, politicians and all the other extravagances made necessary to support the present criminal State, would be very much more useful to society were they to raise their own food, make their own clothes and build their own houses. Most Anarchists would treat crime as a disease and the criminal as a fitter stbject for the hospital than the prison. S20 Anarchists as a rule know that fundamental social and economic changes come slowly, thru experiments and thought and necessity and patient toil and not by wars and violence and disorder and bloodshed; and so they do not expect the millenium to come at beck and call,. by ballot or bluff, by bullet or bluster; but that societies grow more just and perfect if permitted, and that violence and disorder but retard symetrical growth as the vandal hatchet and violent storms maim and disfigure and retard even the most rugged tree. They do hope, however, to better human conditions by clearing away the rubbish injustice, lefting the sun of righteousness shine on the dark places. They know that you must become an Anarchist before Anarchism can be; that you must have an intelligent desire to be free before timid freedom ventures within your reach-that freedom is only for those who want it; that you must realize your slavish conditions before slavery can be abolished; that you must comprehend your own degradation and servility before human dignity and self-respect can be yours; that you must know that you are being despoiled of the greater share of the results of your honest efforts before the despoilers will cease their spoliation; that you must have the knowledge, the will and courage to take your own and 21 leave what belongs to others before you will be fit to associate with those who love justice and hate wrong, Who are wise enough to know their own rights and strong enough to refrain from aggressing another's security, who are Near enough of mental vision- to distinguish friend from foe Anarchists know that so long as they are few in numnb.er they can be overwhelmed by authority and its ignorant and therefore willing victims This is why they spend so much time and effort and money to reach your thinking machine so as to lay before it facts and reasons that will influence its mechanism When this is done successfully your intelligence will no doubt show you how useless and harmful most of our present political machinery is, and you will cooperate with them, be one of them, in the effort to reduce the powers and functions of the State and increase the beneficent influences of freedom. Every person convinced of the truth of Anarchism sees how liberty enlarges human prosperity and happiness, and,becomes from purely self-interest a propagandist, dreaming of a future when "For a' that, and a' that, It's comin' yet for a' that, That man to man the world o'er, Shall brothers be for a' that." 22 SOME IMPORTANT 3OOKS ON ANARCHISM. TRUE CIVILIZATION by Josialh Warroin! VOLUNTARY SOCIALISM 1y Francis 1. Tan Iv INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY by Benj. R Tucker SCIENCE OF SOCIETY by Stephen Pearl lAndrewGOD AND TIHE STATE by Michael Bakunine FIELDS, FACTORIES. AND WORKSII(OPS by P. KIropotkine WHAT Is MUTUALISMN? ly Cl hrence L. Swartz TIHE EGO AND Hlis OwN bv byMax Stirl-r NEWS FROM NOWLHIERE by Willialn Morri THE SLAVERY OF OUR TIMES by,o" Tolstoy SOUL OF MAN UNDER, SOCIALISM by Oscar Wilde LOVE'S COMING OF A;E )by Edward Carpenter VINDICATION OF NATURAL SOCIETY y Edmund BurketWHAT IS PROPERTY? by Pierre J Proudhon POLITICAL WORKS by Thomas Paine ON PIBERTY hy John Stuart Mill SOCIAL STATICS by Herbert Sp mcer DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by Henry I). Thoreau FREE POLITICAL INSTISTUTIONS b1y Lysander Spooner CONVENTIONAL LIES by Max Nordeanu MUTUAL BANKING by William B. Greene THE PHILOSOPHY OF EGOISM by James L. Walker A STUDY OF THE MONEY QUESTION by Hugo Bilgramr THE ANARCIIISTS by John Henry Mackay NOW AND AFTER by Alexander Berkman ANARCHISM AND OTHER ESSAYs;by Emma Goldman LIBERTY AND THE GREAT LIBERTARIANS )y Spradingw SOLUTION OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM lY P. J. Proudhon ANARCHISMl bv. aul Eltzbacher 23 OTHER BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. The Conquest of Bread Peter Kropotkine The Economics of Anarchy Dyer D. Lum Social Wealth J. K. Ingalls The Economic Causes of War Achille Loria The Cause of Business Depression Bilgram and Levy Political Justice and its Influence on General Virtue and Happiness The Menace of Privilege A Politician in Sight of Haven Ancient Society Man and Woman The Evolution of the Idea of God Descent of Man A Geneology of Morals The Quintessence of Ibsenism Anarchy Ancient Lowly A. B. C. of Evolution Progress and Poverty Socialism and Philosophy Anarchism versus Socialism Anarchism: Its Aim and Methods Leaves of Grass Force and Matter The Wisdom of Life Ruins of Empires The Martyrdom of Man Freedom of Speech The American Credo 24 William Godwin Henry George, Jr. Auberon Herbert Lewis H. Morgan Havelock Ellis Grant Allen Charles Darwin Frederick Neitzsclhe Bernard Shaw Enrico Maletesta Osborne Ward Charles McCabe Henry George Antonio Labriola William C. Owen Victor Yarros Walt Whitman Ludwig Buchner Arthur Schopenhauer C. F. Volney Winwood Reade Zechariah Chafee, Jr. H... Mencken c u Ca~;~ ~ iil~j~~~ ~-~~:,,p,,i*,ta~r~~~ 'B~-~R~ "''"I~3~a~,~~~ "-i"~r~ ~:.&~ ~1 1~ -t: 1 ~c~" I~~ ~: ~-"" ~ali~~ ~~~~ c~~~ ~~ 5~~;~~:;~-i, a i~~:~;~~~~-n~~a~ ~-i~ ~l~s~ ~~a~h~r~-~aa ~ ~~~o~~ -li-:~it:aP1-~n ~~s~:~ s~ -~-s ~~2~ ~ 1~42i~ $--"~ e 6_ a ~-~;~~"~~~~~~;~,~~:,,,,,~ ^~~~i3e~ ~58~: ~"~-i-;."" "n:-~~~8R~; Z g~d '-":~s:"ii:,:~i~I%~ ~~ ~~ ~~,:~~~u~~~~:a~~c~~~ ~lt~1: ~-~ ~.;;"1 ~~~z~e rg ~I - *~ 9~n~:~ ~,~ I~~i7rs~.~ar sn ~ili;i ~"I'~- f~: ~ ~-,,