Aurust 80, 1919.
THE COMMUNIST Page Seven Pacifism or Marxism?
In these turbulent times, when the Reply to Scott Nearing whole civilized world seethes with revoconception. Even the most superficial lution, it is but natural that there should bility, assisted by the Popes. In his exobserver of the revolutionary movement be much discussion and argumentation cellent work, Communism in Central in Europe must be aware that had not on the part of the learned and nearEurope, Karl Kautsky describes the rige Hungarian communists had the courage the Bolsheviki, the Spartacans and the learned concerning the methods and and fall of these movements, and makes of their convictions and backed up their means whereby the cause of human prothe following rather interesting com ideas with armed force their attempts to gress may bent be served. Ideas and ment establish proletarian domination would philosophies long disredited and dis It is commonly asserted that ideas cannot have been still born, carded are everywhere being revived, be stamped out by violence. There are many proofs of the truth of this dictum, and it is comFrom time immemorial men have setrenovated and twisted to fit modern conforting to ll who are persecuted; but in this tled their quarrels through bloodshed, ditions. The air is made oppressive with unqualified form it is not true. Admittedly, an and until such time as conclusive evithe vast concourse of voices raised by exidea itself cannot be annihilated by violence; dence is produced to show that human but by itself nlone an idea is a mere shadow, ponents of all manner of isms and olo without any effective force. The strength to nature has been fundamentally changed gies, each insisting that his is the very which a social ideal attains and it is only this kind of an ideal which is under considerationin recent times, we shall be inclined to latest and only true gospel of salvation.
is dependent upon the individuals who uphold believe that force will play its part in However great may be the workers need it e. upon their power in society. If it is possible to annihilaté a class which upholds a the struggle of the workers against their of the material things of life, surely given idea then that idea will perish with its present masters.
there is a plentitude of advice and coun advocates.
We are just as much opposed to the sel.
The history of the Paris Commune injudicious use of force as is Dr. Dearing.
Comes Scott Nearing, sometime pro furnishes but another illustration to disWe fully agree that guns are no substifessor of economics, pacifist, socialist, prove the assertion that ideas cannot be tute for solidarity (which implies class neo Christian and foremost American crushed by violence. Let Lissagaray tell consciousness. But there is a real and exponent of Non Resistance (since Clar how it was done.
fundamental difference between the pacence Darrow turned militarist. with a Twenty five thousand men, women and chil.
ificism which says The use of force is pamphlet entitled Violence or Solidar dren killed during the battle or after; three at all times wrong and the purely expethousand at least dead in the prisons, the forts, ity, or Will Guns Settle It, wherein is the pontoons, or in consequence of maladies condient tactic which declares Force at set forth in glowing terms and up to tracted during their captivity; thirteen thousand this time is inadvisable; we are not seven hundred condemned, most of them for life; ready. In the proper time and place a the minute illustrations the doctrines of the lowly carpenter of Nazareth, and deprived of their natural supporters or thrown regiment of revolutionary soldiers have a extolling the eflicacy of all embracing victims at least; that is the balance sheet of part to play providing, of course, that love as a remedy for the ills of war the bourgeois vengeance for the solitary resur they have knowledge in their heads as rection of the 18th March.
weary humanity.
well as guns in their hands.
The burden of the learned doctor Thus were the workers of Paris The whole matter of force or violence contention is that the use of force or crushed in 1871; even today they have in the labor moveineni is not a question violence is at all times and in all places not recovered from the blow. Clemen of ethics at all, but is determined by the unethical; that violence has in every in ceau, premier of France, was a member force of circumstances, by necessity. The stance failed to crush ideas and move of the Assembly which from Versailles entire argument put forth by Nearing ments; that force when invoked to ad directed the massacre of the Commun falls to the ground the moment we examvance the cause of Jabor has always ards. Will violence crush ideas and move ine its foundation; it is basically unfailed to accomplish the ends sought. ments? Ask The Tiger. sound. All that is necessary is to remove Last but not least it is argued that the it from the moral field and examine it in use of force is against human nature. Violence in the Labor Movement the light of historical materialism. BeIn his own special field Scott Nearing Dynamite placed in the hands of a ing an idealist, Nearing does not accept enjoys something of a reputation as a child or an irresponsible person will the Marxian philosophy. This in itself man of science. In his class rooin only should be suflicient to brand him as un.
wreak death and destruction; a knife in that which will stand the test of analy. the hands of an enraged maniac results fit to pass judgment upon questions of sis and demonsiration is accepted as eviin murder. Yet it cannot be argued that proletarian tactics.
dence. But, like many another, Nearing knives or dynamite are in themselves evil discards the scientific method upon leav and dangerous. On the contrary they Chicago policeman, to friend on car: ing the portals of the university: The Yeah, that the red hangout. Print render valuable service when properly scientist gives way to the dreamer; in used. The same may be said of force; a paper there, and hold meetings to support of his contentions he cites not preach free love.
it may in one case be used to suppress The XX. sociologists and econonists but pets and and enslave niankind, in another it may Huh?
idealists Walt Whitman, Tom Paine, serve as the instrument of liberation. Oh, yes, still living at the same place.
Jesus, Debs and a single disconnected Dr. Nearing contends that the use of Gonna move soon. Rent raised again.
senience from Nicolai Lenin!
force is at all times immoral; that the Yeah, everything gone up. Uh huh.
Violence and the Suppression of ideas taking of human life is unjustifiable. long.
Speaking of the revolutionary movement Violence can have no effect on the in Europe he says: For men to settle their differences and ideas people hold and promulgata ex The Russians won their point through eco arrange amicably their relations would cept to stimulate propaganda and ad.
nomic justice at home, propaganda and open vertise the cause against which violence be agin human nature.
diplomacy ie directed, says Nearing. This is in. If they fail the Red Arny will help them fail. If they win the Red Army will stand deed a comforting thought, but it is in the way of the thing they wish to nccomplish.
true?
It will be liability, not an assct.
ON WITH THE WAR. The cause for which the Spartacans are fight(Continued from Page 3)
The idea with which we are at present ing in Germany will triumph, not because they most deeply concerned, namely, the es are nohting, but because their triuniph is in its possibilities on the day when it deevitable.
tablishment of a communistic society, is cidey that the capitalist system with its Guns will not settle any of thexe questions.
mot new. It was the idea back of Plato Even when used to a good purpose they lead to horrors to our class and its ever accomideal republic; it was current among the a bad end.
panying blighting network of artificial Why?
early Christians and attained wide circustarvation and famine which it createx, Because the theory behind the use of puns lation in Central Europe during the is based upon an utter misconception of human shall pass away from the earth!
Middle Ages, several attempts being nature, Again and again let us insist upon the made to establish communistic commun. Here we have it. Man is essentially reading of many books the earnest conities, Prominent among these were the a good, noble, altruistic being; gentle sideration of over many subjects which Taborites, the Hussites, the Anabaptists and loving. Such was the teaching of directly lie in our path.
and the ill fated movement led Ly Thom. the gentle Nazareno; such is the teach But above all spread the xlad tidings as Munzer. Soinu met with a temporary ing of every pacitixt before and since. of proletarian emancipation to all our clus.
sueteks, but all were in the end crushed But even the slightest acquaintance with John David by the superior forces of the fuedal no human history proves how rilly is this