Notes [Aug, 1888]

In spite of the ever-present financial difficulties of social rebels, the Anarchist press shows most encouraging vitality. Now and again a paper disappears, but two or three others are continually springing up in its place. This month we publish a list of the Socialist Anarchist papers in Spanish to supplement the Italian list given in our June number. In America during the last few months the German Libertus and Fair Play have respectively sprung from the Mutualist journals Liberty and Lucifer. The Alarm which was forced to suspend publication as a fortnightly at Chicago, has reappeared as a weekly at New York, and is yet more revolutionary in tone. It supplies a special need in the party by freely opening its columns for the statement of various shades of Anarchist opinion and the discussion of disputed points. At present an interesting debate is going forward on the use of forge.

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Our Dutch comrades have now an organ in their native tongue, the Anarchist. In France, the brave little Idee Ouvriere at Havre, for which Louise Michel had been lecturing when she was shot, has been obliged to relinquish the struggle for existence, but the Paris, Anarchist groups have brought out their Ca Ira (That will go) and a new French fortnightly, La Critique Sociale, is published at Geneva. So goes the fight. When wearied hands drop the banner, fresh volunteers rush forward to bear it aloft, and slowly but steadily the new thought forges its way through the opposing ranks of interest and prejudice.

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We are glad to see that revolutionary Communism is making its way among our Australian comrades. According to the report in the Australian Radical of the debate of the Melbourne Anarchist Club on June 3rd, only Comrade Andrade opposed the idea of expropriation, whilst the opener, F. P. Upham, "stood up squarely for Anarchist Communism." The advanced political thinkers of Melbourne and the advanced economic thinkers of Sydney seem to be mutually influencing one another, the Socialists advancing towards Anarchism and the Anarchists toward Communism, much as happens in the European International Working Men's Association.

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By the way, why do our comrades associate Communist-Anarchism with individual names? It is not an idea confined to any one man, but for the last twenty years has been the faith of the majority of Socialists in the south of Europe and of the left wing of the Socialist party throughout the world. It is simply the most advanced expression of the great popular movement of our century, and finds an echo wherever the revolt against economic, political and moral domination has begun to deeply stir the minds of men.

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On the Portsmouth Road, close of the Hind Head, there have been for the last ten or twelve years forty acres of land surrounded by a costly and vicious-looking iron fence behind which, at no great distance apart, stand tall notice boards bearing the following inscription: "Notice. Trespassers will be prosecuted according to law. By order. A. J. Balfour, Esq., M.P." The enclosure with its profusion of brambles and weeds suggest a picture in miniature of Ireland after "twenty years of resolute government." When Mr. Balfour has pacified Hibernia he will no doubt turn his attention to this little plot which Time has converted into a veritable Tom Tidler's ground The crop of gold and silver which is to be reaped when the warning, to trespassers have been replaced by tempting advertisements of building-lots may be calculated to a nicety. Forty acres at £200 per acre = £8000. Not a bad profit on the original investment of £10 per acre, and a beautiful example of unearned increment.