St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-04
HHERE THE RESPONSIBILIIY BE-
LONGS


The GLOBE is not whit behind the Win
nipeg Times in denouncing the dynamite
atrocities, but We insist upon dissenting from
the position our Canadian ueghb0r takes in
asserting that the people Of the United States
| are morally responsible for the work of the
dynamiters. The mistake that the Times
makes is confoundiug the dynamiters with
the Fenian brotherhood proper. The latter
society was effected for the purpose of unit
ing Irishmen throughout the world into a
compact national organization with a view OF
ultimately delivering their native country
from the tyrau nical rule of a foreign power.
1t could hardly be expected that the people
of the United States who had secured their
own freedom from the same tyranny that
now curses Ireland should turn their back
upon the Irish people engaged in such a
cause. 1t is true that this government, faith
full to the friendly relations which exist be-
tween this country and Great Britain, has
permitted 20 overt acts on the part of the
Fenians, nor has that society attempted to
DO anything that would compromise our neu-
trality. 1t must be admitted, however, that
American sympathy has been with
Ireland, and as this is a coun-
try of free speech no special objection
could be made to Il crowd of Irsh-Amercan
citizens assembling in a peaceable manner
and discussing the wrongs of their mother
country. So much for the Fenian brother
hood.
Now as to the dynamters. They consti-
E,,Eo
proper. 1t is true that some of them, per-
haps most of them, belong to the Fenian
order, but as dynamiters they have no con-
nection with the order; nor are they in any
wise encouraged by the bulk of Irishmen in
America. The dynamiters are socialists,
aud just as apt to be of French, German or
Russian origin as Irish. So far as their at
tacks against England are concerned we adj
nit that probably the Irish nihiistic ele-
meut is in the front But we fail to see how
America is TO be held responsible for their
atrocities. The Times asserts that Soy per-
hitting Fenianism twenty years ago, the
American people encouraged the use of their
soil as the base of the most infamous species
of warfare known in history" We have
shown how the Times falls into the error of
confounding the Fenian order with the reck-
less dynamite crew.
1t may be as the Times asserts that the
American people have been too little Observ-
ing, too negligent, and too indifferent to the
growth of socialism. We believe that our
authorities, national, state and municipal,
are often too lenient with criminals, and give
m, ipd u1 70 tho riTv.ir A ri
At the same time we feel confident that our
government will take prompt steps to check
these evils. The EDMCNDs bill
now before Congress, and bills of
similar character pending in u
number of the State legislatures afford the
best evidence that so far as our national and
state interests are concerned we will protect
ourselves. We fail TO see, however, as the
Times seems to indicate 1t should be, that the
American people are under any special obi
cations to convert themselves into police
and detective force for the protection of Eng
land, or any other power. If the English
govern ment has reason to believe that Eng
! lands enemies are conspiring on American
soil to make war upon that country it has a
pGtlCCL IlSub W eSuu hCNSNlifC lOiNC uSIC w
work 1t up, and when established and the ev-
idence of the conspiracy laid before our gov
eminent, our English friends need have no
uneasiness but that it will be crushed in the
blooming. Our own opinion is that English
incapacity, if not stupidity, is responsible for
the success of the dynamite fiends, and not
the American people. If there was one-half
the snap and shrewlness in the English po-
lice and detective system that is found in d
Chicago detective, New York policeman, or
the average American newspaper reporter, the
dynamiters who blew up the Tower and
House of Parliament would have been hang
ing from the limb OF tree long ago. We
advise our neighbors across the line to get the
beams out of their own eyes before they com
meuce to search for moats in American eyes.