The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-05
THE DYNAMITE BILL.

! GoellaUOr EuIuuuuS DlIliOI Vic PUNISH
ment of dynamiters. and the suppress
sion of the dynamite industry in this
country, is one which should receive
the early action of Congress, the sub
ject being of far greater importance tc
the country than many OF the matters
: over which the lawmakers are bag
,, Cling and wasting valuable time. The
bill declares it a felony to make, buy OF
sell any dynamite explosive, with in.
tent that such explosive tall be used in
the United States or elsewhere, for the
injury or destruction of private OF
public property, or thea injury of any
person. Any person aiding and abet
ting by skilled labor in the manufac-
ture of any such compound, knowing
the uses to which it is to be applied, OF
acting as agents for the principals in
such transactions, shall be deemed
principals and be tried and punished in
like manner. The second section pro-
vides that any person transporting or
delivering such explosives on board any
vessel, railroad car or vehicle employed
In carrying passengers by land or water
between any place in the United States
and foreign country, or between a
place in one State or Territory of the
United States and another, or at any
depot, wharf or warehouse within
the United States, knowing that the
same was intended to be used for any
such felonious purpose, shall in like
manner be guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall be subject to like punishment,
and every master of vessel, freight
superintendent or other officer of a rail
road, authorized to receive freight, and
every owner of any other vehicle men,
toned in this act, and every person
having direct charge of a depot, wharf,
or warehouse who receives any such
explosive compounds for transportation
or delivery, knowing that they are to
be used for the purposes prohibited by
this act, shall be punished in like man.
ner. In section it is made the duty
of circuit and district judges to bring
the provisions of the law to the special
notice of grand juries, and enjoin upon
them the importance of making full
and careful inquiry into any violation
of its provisions. District attorneys are
to conduct prosecutions, and the attor-
ney-genral is given power to en-
ploy special counsel in prosecutions
deemed by him of sufficient Importance
The bill was evidently drawn with the
care that characterizes the work Of the
Vermont Senator. the intention being to
cover the entire subject, crushing out
the wicked industry without mercy.
The business can be dealt with only by
severe measures determinedly applied,
and the best time to take repressiye 4
steps is while the industry is in its in
fancy and the least. harm has been done.
However it is doubtful if Congress will
act favorably on this or any other bill
designed to check the growing danger.
The anti-English vote in this country is
so large, and the denagogue statesmen
are SO numerous that little relief can be
counted on from Congress. The aver
age Congressman is less afraid of dyna-
mite than of being cleft" for renomina-
ton or reelection. He feels that he can
endure the manufacture of any quantity |
of explosives intended for the demolition |
of English government hol SIS, but he
cannot suffer the loss of many votes in
his district. This matter is similar in a |
political way, to the Chinese question.
Congress was ceerced into passing the
anti-Chinese bills, members all the time
knowing they were doing wrong. The
anti-Chinese voters stood back of them.
and they dared not do what their con-
science and best Judgment dictated. /
Now, the anti-English voters will stand
between Congressman and the suppress
sion of the dynamite industry. 1t will
require some terrible outrage in this
country to impel Congress to its duty
in the premises.