Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-08-26
The Verdict Against Anarcbism.

The United States is said, and truly
said, to be the land of free speech. But
this means free speech under the law,
and not outside of it or in defiance of Its
provisions. Many times has this fact
been asserted by the judicial tribunals
all over our country. 1t is well under
stood and appreciated by the vast major
ity of our population native and foreign
born. These know full well, that they
owe their life and liberty, the enjoyment
of their property and all the blessings
secured to them and to their children
under our laws to the observance and
vindication of freedom of speech, no:
only protected by law, but limited by
law as well. These Limitations TO free4
dom of speech may not always be ex+
pressed on the statute books, but they
exist nevertheless, firmly imbedded in
our people. We know that these limir
tations contain the very safeguards to
the happiness guaranteed by the exercise
of free speech.
When. therefore, any theory or doc
trine is inculcated, or practice introduc-
ed into our midst, denying these limita
tions and destroying these safeguards,
these theories must be met and answer
ed. and these practices punished and an
initiated.
We have had a notable, notorious
example of these, in the doctrines and
practices of the Anarchists of Chicago,
the barbarities of which so lately con-
vulsed the civilized world. The Anarch-
lists, either not understanding the mean
ing of freedom of speech" or not re-
garding its limitations, wantonly and
murderously sought to break down its
safeguards, by inaugurating a reign of
terror which. before it could be qnelled,
sated itself upon the blood of those spe
cially charged with the preservation of
public order. These weeds of socialism,
of anarchism. and of nihilism, had long
been suffered to grow up in the city of
Chicago. exhaling a poison deadly as
that of the Upas tree. The people think
ing themselves secure, viewed with ap-
parent indifference the abuses of these
wretches upon the right of the freedom
of speech, not realizing that that freedom
had degenerated into license, which
had inflamed the passions and aroused
the brutal instincts of mob foreign
born that had never known of liberty
without abuse or freedom without IL
cerse. This Indifference continued until
the city stood upon the crater of a social
volcano, charged with the hell-fire of
anarchy. A few months ago it burst,
heaVing up its fearful wrath, and with
the red right hand of murder the rule of
the mob began. Chicago awoke. Its
citizens saw the lurid glare of their city
and heard the groans of her dying Off
GERS. Wholesale murder had begun.
Life, liberty and property were as noth+
ing before that mob of devils. the disci+
pies of anarchy, the seeds of which had
been sown, and springing up had borne
deadly fruit in their midst.
The people saw what the freedom of
speech, without the limitations of law,
meant. They saw the effect of their
apathy. They came to the rescue, and
determined to interpret to this bowling,
bomb-throwing mob, the meaning of the
phrase, Freedom of speech and of the
press. datorrnined to point out its lin,
itations; determined to show that an
archist mob the distinction between lib
erty and license, which distinction should
prove difference.
After long and tedious trial of the
ring-leaders in the scenes of that dread>
ful night of few months ago, the state
secured conviction, and death penalty
upon the guilty. No one, familiar with
the facts. will deny that justice has tri-
umphed, that the conviction was just,
that the prisoners were guilty as indict-
ed. These men have had plenty of time
to plant their seed. If they reap a har
vest of hemp they cannot complain.
What in their hands was murder without
law, is in the hands of the law stern re-
tributive Justice. Our soil is not suited
to anarchy. The results of this trial
show that it is dangerous thing for
man to hire out to harvest the crop
planted by anarchists anywhere in this
country. He and they will reap the
whirlwind. They sowed dragons teeth.
They assaulted the bulwarks of liberty,
the safeguards of freedom. With mur-
derous weapons and intent they did it.
The people say "amen" to the verdict
of the jury which coDsigns to death the
fellows who, not acknowledging the
meaning of freedom and its limitations,
sought to found an empire of blood upon
the ruins of our liberty.
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In view of the defalcation, embezzle |
ments and other breaches of confidence |
reported every week, it is becoming
familiar exclamation: "Who can be |