But Socialists Are Active In Walpole and Norwood.
Soon after the shooting of McKinley the statement was made to the writer that there were at least forty anarchists in Norwood. Some slight attempt has been made by the writer to ascertain the truth of this statement, and the result has been a feeling that the statement bad little or no truth in it. That there may be a few anarchists here is possible. But that there Is any large or noticeable number who are out-and-out anarchists is extremely doubtful. It should be remembered that the anarchist is not, after all, the sort of man who hides his light under a bushel. He likes to talk, and it is not so hard to tell who he is and what his sentiments are.
Chief-of-Police Rhoads does not believe that there are any number of anarchists in Norwood. There are and have been a fairly large number of socialists in town, and at some elections they have thrown a considerable vote.
As a Walpole socialist said to us the other day, the socialist and anarchist doctrines are diametrically opposite. The philosophical socialist believes in the doctrine of public ownership of everything, in “all for each and each for all,” as he expresses it. The philosophy of anarchism is, on the other hand, individualism, that every man is a law unto himself.
The socialists are attaining quite a following in the neighboring town of Walpole, though perhaps the total membership of their club will not exceed fifty. Their leaders strongly denounce the attack on the President and say they believe in a social millennium to be brought about by peaceable means.
One of the Walpole socialists who has been studying social problems for a good many years stated to us the other day that so far as his experience and knowledge go he did not personally know of but two men in this vicinity who were anarchists and he was not quite sure as to them. One of these was a barber, formerly a socialist leader in Norwood, who had, it is thought, become an anarchist. Another is a German still residing in Walpole, who has not apparently made a great deal of noise over his belief.
The Walpole socialists discredit the story published in the Boston Journal concerning a proposed “white cap” attack on Rev. Mr. Smith of Pepperell. Rev. Mr. Smith addressed an outdoor socialist meeting in Walpole a month or so ago, and it must be admitted that some of his utterances were of a decidedly inflammatory character. They did not quite please the socialists themselves who were looking for a more moderate speech and one looking to a larger political organization by the Walpole Social Democrats. Some Walpole socialists think the attack on the President is likely to have a dampening effect on their political movement in town this fall.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)