the cleveland era-第19节

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　Constitution。　The　Socialist　Labor　party　held　its　first　national　convention　in　1877。　Its　membership　was　mostly　foreign；　of　twenty…four　periodical　publications　then　carried　on　in　the　party　interest；　only　eight　were　in　the　English　language；　and　this　polyglot　press　gave　justification　to　the　remark　that　the　movement　was　in　the　hands　of　people　who　proposed　to　remodel　the　institutions　of　the　country　before　they　had　acquired　its　language。　The　alien　origin　of　the　movement　was　emphasized　by　the　appearance　of　two　Socialist　members　of　the　German　Reichstag；　who　made　a　tour　of　this　country　in　1881　to　stir　up　interest　in　the　cause。　It　was　soon　apparent　that　the　growth　of　the　Socialist　party　organization　was　hindered　by　the　fact　that　its　methods　were　too　studious　and　its　discussions　too　abstract　to　suit　the　energetic　temper　of　the　times。　Many　Socialists　broke　away　to　join　revolutionary　clubs　which　were　now　organized　in　a　number　of　cities　without　any　clearly　defined　principle　save　to　fight　the　existing　system　of　government。

At　this　critical　moment　in　the　process　of　social　disorganization；　the　influence　of　foreign　destructive　thought　made　itself　felt。　The　arrival　of　Johann　Most　from　Europe；　in　the　fall　of　1882；　supplied　this　revolutionary　movement　with　a　leader　who　made　anarchy　its　principle。　Originally　a　German　Socialist　aiming　to　make　the　State　the　sole　landlord　and　capitalist；　he　had　gone　over　to　anarchism　and　proposed　to　dissolve　the　State　altogether；　trusting　to　voluntary　association　to　supply　all　genuine　social　needs。　Driven　from　Germany；　he　had　taken　refuge　in　England；　but　even　the　habitual　British　tolerance　had　given　way　under　his　praise　of　the　assassination　of　the　Czar　Alexander　in　1881　and　his　proposal　to　treat　other　rulers　in　the　same　way。　He　had　just　completed　a　term　of　imprisonment　before　coming　to　the　United　States。　Here；　he　was　received　as　a　hero；　a　great　mass　meeting　in　his　honor　was　held　in　Cooper　Union；　New　York；　in　December；　1882；　and　when　he　toured　the　country　he　everywhere　addressed　large　meetings。

In　October　1883；　a　convention　of　social　revolutionists　and　anarchists　was　held　in　Chicago；　at　which　a　national　organization　was　formed　called　the　International　Working　People's　Association。　The　new　organization　grew　much　faster　than　the　Socialist　party　itself；　which　now　almost　disappeared。　Two　years　later；　the　International　had　a　party　press　consisting　of　seven　German；　two　Bohemian；　and　only　two　English　papers。　Like　the　Socialist　party；　it　was；　therefore；　mainly　foreign　in　its　membership。　It　was　strongest　in　and　about　Chicago；　where　it　included　twenty　groups　with　three　thousand　enrolled　members。　The　anarchist　papers　exhorted　their　adherents　to　provide　themselves　with　arms　and　even　published　instructions　for　the　use　of　dynamite。

Political　and　industrial　conditions　thus　supplied　material　for　an　explosion　which　came　with　shocking　violence。　On　May　4；　1885；　towards　the　close　of　an　anarchist　meeting　held　in　Chicago；　a　dynamite　bomb　thrown　among　a　force　of　policemen　killed　one　and　wounded　many。　Fire　was　at　once　opened　on　both　sides；　and；　although　the　battle　lasted　only　a　few　minutes；　seven　policemen　were　killed　and　about　sixty　wounded；　while　on　the　side　of　the　anarchists；　four　were　killed　and　about　fifty　were　wounded。　Ten　of　the　anarchist　leaders　were　promptly　indicted；　of　whom　one　made　his　escape　and　another　turned　State's　evidence。　The　trial　of　the　remaining　eight　began　on　June　21；　1886；　and　two　months　later　the　death　sentence　was　imposed　upon　seven　and　a　penitentiary　term　of　fifteen　years　upon　one。　The　sentences　of　two　of　the　seven　were　commuted　to　life　imprisonment；　one　committed　suicide　in　his　cell　by　exploding　a　cartridge　in　his　mouth；　and　four　met　death　on　the　scaffold。　While　awaiting　their　fate　they　were　to　a　startling　extent　regarded　as　heroes　and　bore　themselves　as　martyrs　to　a　noble　cause。　Six　years　later；　Illinois　elected　as　governor　John　P。　Altgeld；　one　of　whose　first　steps　was　to　issue　a　pardon　to　the　three　who　were　serving　terms　of　imprisonment　and　to　criticize　sharply　the　conduct　of　the　trial　which　had　resulted　in　the　conviction　of　the　anarchists。

The　Chicago　outbreak　and　its　result　stopped　the　open　spread　of　anarchism。　Organized　labor　now　withdrew　from　any　sort　of　association　with　it。　This　cleared　the　field　for　a　revival　of　the　Socialist　movement　as　the　agency　of　social　and　political　reconstruction。　So　rapidly　did　it　gain　in　membership　and　influence　that　by　1892　it　was　able　to　present　itself　as　an　organized　national　party　appealing　to　public　opinion　for　confidence　and　support；　submitting　its　claims　to　public　discussion；　and　stating　its　case　upon　reasonable　grounds。　Although　its　membership　was　small　in　comparison　with　that　of　the　old　parties；　the　disparity　was　not　so　great　as　it　seemed；　since　the　Socialists　represented　active　intelligence　while　the　other　parties　represented　political　inertia。　From　this　time　on；　Socialist　views　spread　among　college　students；　artists；　and　men　of　letters；　and　the　academic　Socialist　became　a　familiar　figure　in　American　society。

Probably　more　significant　than　the　Socialist　movement；　as　an　indication　of　the　popular　demand　for　radical　reform　in　the　government　of　the　country；　was　the　New　York　campaign　of　Henry　George　in　1886。　He　was　a　San　Francisco　printer　and　journalist　when　he　published　the　work　on　〃Progress　and　Poverty〃　which　made　him　famous。　Upon　the　petition　of　over　thirty　thousand　citizens；　he　became　the　Labor　candidate　for　mayor　of　New　York　City。　The　movement　in　support　of　George　developed　so　much　strength　that　the　regular　parties　felt　compelled　to　put　forward　exceptionally　strong　candidates。　The　Democrats　nominated　Abram　S。　Hewitt；　a　man　of　the　highest　type　of　character；　a　fact　which　was　not　perhaps　so　influential　in　getting　him　the　nomination　as　that　he　was　the　son…in…law　of　Peter　Cooper；　a　philanthropist　justly　beloved　by　the　working　classes。　The　Republicans　nominated　Theodore　Roosevelt；　who　had　already　distinguished　himself　by　his　energy　of　character　and　zeal　for　reform。　Hewitt　was　elected；　but　George　received　68；110　votes　out　of　a　total　of　219；679；　and　stood　second　in　the　poll。　His　supporters　contended　that　he　had　really　been　elected　but　had　been　counted　out；　and　this　belief　turned　their　attention　to　the　subject　of　ballot　reform。　To　the　agitation　which　Henry　George　began；　may　be　fairly　ascribed　the　general　adoption　of　the　Australian　ballot　in　the　United　States。

The　Socialist　propaganda　carried　on　in　large　cities　and　in　factory　towns　hardly　touched　the　great　mass　of　the　people　of　the　United　States；　who　belonged　to　the　farm　rather　than　to　the　workshop。　The　great　agricultural　class；　which　had　more　weight　at　the　polls　than　any　other　class　of　citizens；　was　much　interested　in　the　redress　of　particular　grievances　and　very　little　in　any　general　reform　of　the　governmental　system。　It　is　a　class　that　is　conservative　in　disposition　but　distrustful　of　authority；　impatient　of　what　is　theoretical　and　abstract；　and　bent　upon　the　quick　practical　solution　of　problems　by　the　nearest　and　simplest　means。　While　the　Socialists　in　the　towns　were　interested　in　labor　questions；　the　farmers　more　than　any　other　class　were　affected　by　the　defective　system　of　currency　supply。　The　national　banking　system　had　not　been　devised　to　meet　industrial　needs　but　as　a　war　measure　to　provide　a　market　for　government　bonds；　deposits　of　which　had　to　be　made　as　the　basis　of　note　issues。　As　holdings　of　government　bonds　were　amassed　in　the　East；　financial　operations　tended　to　confine　themselves　to　that　part　of　the　country；　and　banking　facilities　seemed　to　be　in　danger　of　becoming　a　sectional　monopoly；　and　such；　indeed；　was　the　case　to　a　marked　extent。　This　situation　inspired　among　the　farmers；　especially　in　the　agricultural　West；　a　hatred　of　Wall　Street　and　a　belief　in　the　existence　of　a　malign　money　power　which　provided　an　inexhaustible　fund　of　sectional　feeling　for　demagogic　exploitation。

For　lack　of　proper　machinery　of　credit　for　carrying　on　the　process　of　exchange；　there　seemed　to　be　an　absolute　shortage　in　the　amount　of　money　in　circulation；　and　it　was　this　circumstance　that　had　given　such　force　to　the　Greenback　Movement。　Although　that　movement　was　defeated；　its　supporters　urged　that；　if　the　Government　could　not　supply　additional　note　issues；　it　should　at　least　permit　an　increase　in　the　stock　of　coined　money。　This　feeling　was　so　strong　that　as　early　as　1877　the　House　had　passed　a　bill　for　the　free　coinage　of　silver。　For　this；　the　Senate　substituted　a　measure　requiring　the　purchase　and　coinage　by　the　Government　of　from　two　to　four　million　dollars'　worth　of　silver　monthly；　and　this　compromise　was　accepted　by　the　House。　As　a　result；　in　February；　1878；　it　was　passed　over　President　Hayes's　veto。

The　operation　of　this　act　naturally　tended　to　cause　the　hoarding　of　gold　as　the　cheaper　silver　was　equally　a　legal　tender；　and　meanwhile　the　silver　dollars　did　not　tend　to　pass　into　circulation。　In　1885；　in　his　first　annual　message　to　Congress；　President　Cleveland　mentioned　the　fact　that；　although　215；759；431　silver　dollars　had　been　coined；　only　about　fifty　million　had　found　their　way　into　circulation；　and　that　〃every　month　two　millions　of　gold　in　the　public　Treasury　are　paid　out　for　two　millions　or　more　of　silver　dollars　to　b