The Red Conspiracy | Page 2

and Philadelphia. The matter obtained in these centres of
underworld corruption and anarchy could not have been procured had
the author ransacked every public library in the United States.
Though loyalty and patriotism should always inspire us to defend our
country against its foes, we must concede to the Socialists that human
government, whether national, state or municipal, is by no means free
from serious defects; and we are bound to admit that representatives of
the American people, as well as men engaged in business and
commerce, have too often been guilty of dishonesty, injustice and
cruelty to the suffering poor.
Law-abiding citizens, while very much regretting that wrongs such as
these should exist, confidently hope to reduce them to a reasonable
minimum by methods of social reform still more effective than those
that have already brought to an end not a few of the evils prevalent in
days gone by. Prudence and charity suggest to true social reformers
reasonable constitutional and lawful methods by which to correct
abuses instead of adding to their number by adopting Socialism. We
have already seen too much of the work of the "Reds" in Europe and in
parts of Mexico, and we do not wish to behold our fellow-countrymen
shedding more blood and suffering graver evils, under Socialism, than
they did during the terrible World War.

Loyal and patriotic citizens of America, judging from the progress that
has been made in the past in matters of social reform, have every
reason for looking forward confidently to the success of their
efforts--unless, indeed, the Revolutionists, by greatly increasing their
numbers, should divide the workingmen of our country into two big
parties, comprising, respectively, the Socialists and the anti-Socialists,
whose main purpose it would then be to fight each other instead of
joining forces against social abuses. If the Revolutionists should gain
very large numbers of recruits, there would be, on the one hand, a great
party consisting of those whose object it would be to destroy our
present form of government, as well as the entire industrial system, and,
on the other, an opposition party, embracing good citizens and men of
common sense and intelligence, who, because of their realization of the
blessings which privately-owned industries and our constitutional form
of government have bestowed upon the people of America, would be
determined to shed the last drop of their blood in defense of them.
The Socialists, however, are not satisfied with social reform, but are
bent on the total destruction of our system of government and industry,
holding the system itself, rather than the faults and shortcomings of
men, to be by its very nature responsible for all the economic evils of
the day. "Down with the Stars and Stripes" is their cry. "Abolish
religion and the present form of marriage." "Atheism and free-love
must reign supreme." Then, trusting that workingmen will admire
anything, provided that it be adorned in sufficiently glowing colors,
they paint such fabulous pictures of Socialism as the following:
"Hundreds of thousands of former representatives of the state will enter
various professions, and by their intelligence and strength will help to
increase the wealth and comfort of society. Neither political nor
common crimes will be known in the future. Thieves will have
disappeared because private property will have disappeared, and in the
new society everybody will be able to satisfy his wants easily and
conveniently by work. Nor will there be tramps and vagabonds, for
they are the product of a society founded on private property, and with
the abolition of this institution they will cease to exist. Murder? Why?
No one can enrich himself at the expense of others, and even murder

for hatred or revenge is directly or indirectly connected with the social
system. Perjury, false testimony, fraud, theft of inheritance, fraudulent
failures? There will be no private property against which these crimes
could be committed. Arson? Who should find satisfaction in
committing arson when society has removed all cause for hatred?
Counterfeiting? Money will be but a mere chimera, it would be love's
labor lost! Blasphemy? Nonsense! It will be left to good Almighty God
himself to punish whoever has offended him, provided that the
existence of God is still a matter of controversy." ("Woman Under
Socialism," by Bebel, page 436 of the 1910 edition in English.)
As an immense number of American citizens would not be led astray
by these foolish promises, or by others equally absurd--recalling how
political and common crimes, theft, murder, arson, perjury, worthless
currency, blasphemy and political corruption have ruined Socialist
Russia and made it a hell on earth--a dreadful revolution would be
necessary to compel our countrymen to surrender their cherished rights.
The Socialists, if victorious, after having set up a new form of
government, modeled on their own low ideas of morality,