The Anarchistic Method. 307 



to suffer rather than practise virtue and self-control or 

 labor for the production of wealth. I mean involuntary 

 poverty ; that poverty which is now, in spite of the virtue, 

 self-control and industry of the poor, so prevalent. Many 

 persons are skeptical concerning the existence of such 

 poverty. It is commonly believed that no one not intem- 

 perate or thriftless need be poor. But it is only necessary 

 to open one's eyes to see that there are millions of human 

 beings in this and all countries who labor unceasingly only 

 to find that their poverty increases. It is unnecessary to 

 dwell upon a fact so patent. Everywhere children are 

 taken from school or play to labor in factories and mines ; 

 else why the futile statutes against child-labor ? Every- 

 where is heard the hum of sewing-machines from which 

 hollow-chested women drop into the Potter's Field; else 

 why all the kind-hearted charitable work among the 

 "worthy poor" ? 



This social disease of poverty Anarchists believe will 

 disappear when its causes are generally understood. And 

 they believe its causes are much better understood by a few 

 than the causes of small-pox or cholera are understood by 

 any ; and that they are removable. They believe that what 

 are popularly supposed to be its causes ignorance of what 

 is taught in the schools, idleness, drunkenness and crime 

 are its effects ; and that, hence, to attempt to remove it by 

 compulsory education in the common schools, charity- 

 organization societies, model tenement-houses and reforma- 

 tories, however well-meant such attempts may be and 

 undoubtedly are, is to necessarily fail. The cause of invol- 

 untary poverty, Anarchists believe, is the taking away 

 from the laboring people the producers of wealth a 

 large part of what they produce. This is accomplished by 

 methods not understood without much observation and 

 reflection but easily perceived by open-minded thinkers. 



Anyone can see that there are many persons in every 

 community who do no productive work. Such persons 

 must be supported by what others j)roduce, since there is 

 no other fund from which they may draw. Beggars and 

 tramps are a drain upon the wealth of the industrious. 

 Thieves break through and steal what others earn. 

 Gamblers of all kinds subsist upon what others produce ; 

 and so do the inmates of poor-houses and prisons. This is 

 plain to all. Policemen, soldiers, and high-priced govern- 



