New-York tribune., 1885-01-27
PROTECTION AGAINST DYNAMIT f.

The English people are still laboring under a
startling sense of insecurity. They are con-
yiDced that the dynamite Outrages will con-
tinue. The excitement and CONSERVATION
caused by Saturdays diabolical plots will en-
| courage those who planned them to repeat
| them IL the chief object was to create panic.
they have probably congratulated themselves
| upon their success. The conspirators have
| made what they consider great hit and have
done it apparently without serious risk OF dctec-
tion. Their success exposes London to new
danger.
| How can the English people protect them
| selves against the Vaccinations and plots of
these murdercrs7 This is most pcrplcxing
| question for Ministers and legislators, whose
| minds are already harassed with manifold cares
of state. The laws relating to explosives are
now as stringent rs they can be made, and the
few conspirators convicted of plotting against
life and property have paid the extreme penal
ties allowed Additional legislation offers only a
| faint promise of security. rigorous law sternly
enforced has not repressed these crimes against
civilization. Obviously nothing will be gained
by amendments to the explosives act, by in
creased penalties for the illegal possession oi
explosives, or by new restrictions upon the sale
and manufacture of nitro and chlorate COM
| uoupds. The most that the English can hope
| for is a thorough reorganization OF the police
| and detective systems, whereby new vigor may
| be impaired to the administration OF tho law
| and dynamite outrages may be prevented. The
London press is loud in its condemnation oi the
inciliciency Of the police. and sweeping reforms
may be expected at an early day. But at
present this is only confession of helplessness
and does not tend To reassure the English
metropolis.
II is not strange that the London press is
catching at the chances of legislation offered by
the United States and other countries. Having
failed to deal with the danger at hand, they
hope to cope better with it at long range. The
| bill introduced in the United States Senate by
Senator Edmunds has been received IN London
| with tokens of the livelicSt satisfaction. We
would gladly share this feeling Of confidence in
! the practical effects OF this measure; but we
cannot. In our judgment the passage OF that
act will not render London one whit more secure
than it is to-day. The main purpose OF the
measure is to punish conspiraiors here for IN
evil intent to destroy life and property i'll n
foreign country. 1t Is not practicable to prove
the intention before the overt act is committed
thousands of miles away. Such Federal law
could not be enforced, even II there were no
conflict with State statutes. 1t does not deal at
all with the chief grievance of the English
people in connection with the dynamite out
RACES. namely, the collection of money by Irish
newspapers for the specific purpose of destroy
ing life and property in London. As a formal
| expression of American condemnation OF these
atrocions crimes it would be not less emphatic
! ID l.,,t
practical legislative measure 1t would be dead
letter from the day of passage.
| We think the time is fast approaching when
the new perils to which Governments are cx-
posed from the use of so terrible an agent of
destruction as dynamite will render necessary
combined international action. Germany and
| Russia have concluded treaty for mutual pro-
| lection whereby the punishment and cxtrad-
ton of dynamiteurs are explicitly provided for.
| Is Great Britain ready to be admitted into
similar relations with Continental Powers
| Are her statesmen willing to join the European
Governments in discriminating sharply between
political offences and dynamite outragcs
| Until England consents to renOunce the prccc-
dent OF the Orsini case and to unite heartily
with Europe in the suppression of these crimes
against civilization, it cannot expect the United
| States To make the first movement in a revision
| of the extraditiOn law.
As for Americans, there is one practical quos-
ton which they ought to consider. Dynamite
| does not cross the ocean; but much of the
| money wherewith agents are hired to do this
diabocal work ia undoubtedly raised in this
| country There are no statutes whereby news
| papers acting as collecting agencies for these
! funds can he either SuDDrcSScu or nrosncut.d
Ought this license to continue9 1t is n very
grave question, and a far-rcachng one--not to
be hastily decided either way.