The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-30
GENERAL BUTLER ON DYNAMITE.
How Congress May Regulate It's Manufac
ture and Sale.

How Congress May Regulate It's Manufac-
ture and Sale.
Washington special to New York Sun.
Reporter-General Butler, are you willing to
say anything about dynamite2
General Butler-I see no reason why may
not contribute my thoughts upon subject
which interests everybody. l do not intend,
however, to discuss the question whether it is a
lawful weapon to be used by disorganized peo-
pie contending for their rights against an organ
iZed asE powerful government; whom the first
believe to be their oppressors and destroyers
That will forever be a debatable question,
like the use of poison and explosive bullets in
warfare, or fireships, letters of marQue in war
fare by sea, or permitting body of prisoners of
war actually surrendered and disarmed to be
left unguarded to be murdered by their savage
allies. as was done in the French Indian wars Of
l757-58 by the French; in the State of New York
by employing savages and letting them loose
along the borders of civilization to murder and
scalp women and children, as was done by the
British government in the war of our Revolu-
ton; or exploding or burning the buildings of
the cities of an enemy or sending infected cloth
ing into the enemy's country freighted with
smallpox and yellow fever as was claimed to be
done in our own late war.
upon these topics the weaker people will al
ways be on the one side and the stronger nation
see for themselves on which side they range
themselves. On another question, however
have some views that am willing to exprsss It
is claimed that there is some duty on the part of
the United States to so arrange its laws that
giant powder. dynamite and other explosive
compounds should not be made and exported so
as to be used in annoying or destroying the pub
lie buildings or defenses of Great Britain
or any other nation. | deny that there
is any such duty imposed by public law
nro ony nfh NJ
more duty imposed upon us by the law of nations
in this regard than that it is our duty to prevent
the manufacture of poison, offensive or defen-
sive weapons, or any other article that may be
used for illicit and nefarious purposes in other
nations.
'As to articles which can have no possible ben
efcial or legitimate use for anybody or any
where, the question would be different. and is
useless to be discussed here, because dynamite,
nitro glycerine, nitrogenous and chlorate ex-
plosives at which the State Departments bill
presented by Mr. Edmunds is aimed, are of the
greatest mechanical and commercial value in the
industries of the country.
Everybody knows to what industrial uses
the several compounds made from nitro-g
inc are applied Fu.minate OF mercury for ex
ample, which Is the basis of every percussion
cap and cartridge of fixed ammunition as an ex-
plosive, Is nitrogenous. Many of the matches,
and the best of them in common use, are COM
posed of chlorate explosives Can Great Britain
any other nation call upon US to cripple our
industries by laws prohibiting the manufacture
of thesef Being useful articles the power
of the State governments may be in
voked for the regulation but not for the
destruction of their manufacture; but do not
see how the laws of the United States, under
any power given by the Constitution, save one
land that is not contemplated by Mr.. Edmunds's
bill), can be exerted to control such manufac-
lures and certainly not except in the Territories
and other special places of Jurisdiction of the
United States. Thus Mr. Edmundss bill. if II
becomes law. would be wholly imperative,
even suppose the intent, which is made an in
gredient OF the crime it prohibits, should be
proven.
Il trust, therefore, Congress will go slow in
the direction of the legislation proposed All
legislation made in answer to panics and excite.
ments is dangerous, and, as a rule noxious
''Ihere Is, however, another view of this cues
tion which is OF some interest, and there is
power which Congress may exercise which will
accomplish all that can be done to regulate and
control the manufacture of dangerous ex plosives
1t has become a matter of interest to the people
of this country whether the disposition and
manufacture of dynamite and kindred ex-
plosives should not be controlled and regulated
A dynamite cartridge can blow up a wing of the
Capitol as well as the House of Parliament, or
the White House as well as the Tower of Lon
don. Putting it under the bed chamber of the
President with a time fuse attached which
would enable the assassin to run away and con-
ceal himself would certainly be safer mode of
killing the President. to the perpetrator, than
was the shot by Guiteau at noonday and one
against which no possible foresight could guard
Illustrations on this matter might be indefinitely
multiplied.
ITO guard against such Illicit uses of these
very destructive agencies, the best that federal
legislation can do would be to so control and
regulate the manufacture Of these explosives
that no considerable amount could be made or