The Anarchistic Method. 315 



higher than its present plane if all financial transactions 

 were effected upon individual honor ; that the dangerous, 

 the ruinous credit-system of doing biisiness would be 

 desirably modified if laws for the collection of debts by 

 force were abolished. Indeed, some Anarchists think that 

 the abolition of laws for the collection of debts would go 

 very far toAvard reorganizing society upon a just basis. 

 But, important as this measure is, they deem it unnecessary 

 to vote for it, because, in time, the experience of business- 

 men will demonstrate that such laws are futile and unneces- 

 sary, and when a law goes out of use under the action of 

 popular opinion its disappearance produces no friction, for 

 it ceases because no one desires it any longer. 



To fight down slavery was a mistake followed by inevita- 

 ble unhappy conditions until now. If slavery had been 

 let alone until it crumbled away there would have succeeded 

 its disappearance no sad and vexing negro-problem. This 

 was the wish of Garrison and his friends, very good 

 Anarchists, who denounced the government and burned the 

 Constitution because they upheld chattel slavery as they 

 sustain indirect slavery to-day, and who contemplated the 

 use of no other than intellectual and moral weapons against 

 the abomination. If Garrison's policy of propaganda and 

 passive resistance had been followed, the institution of 

 chattel slavery would not have disappeared as suddenly as 

 it did, but it would inevitably have fallen to pieces, little 

 by little, without leaving soldier blood and a national debt 

 where it fell. It would have fallen without the use of a 

 bullet or a ballot. 



The Anarchist, then, at present is simply a propagandist, 

 by word and passive deed. He talks and writes and, as 

 far as possible, refrains from doing those things that to him 

 are useless and Avrong. He ceases to exercise the privilege 

 of the franchise. If he is entirely consistent he will 

 receive nothing that he does not earn, except by gift. If 

 he believes that it is Avise for him to become a martyr for 

 purposes of propaganda he will refuse to pay taxes and 

 take the consequences, without physical resistance. An- 

 archists, however, as a rule are not what is commonly called 

 fanatical. They rely more iipon words, for the present, 

 than upon deeds. But when they become more numerous 

 the method of passive resistance will, no doubt, be resorted 

 to. 



