The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-06
THE MORAL OF HARRISON'S
MURDER.

Mayor Harrison are Interesting. The Chi
cago Tribune says that "a vicious system.
pursued to its logical conclusion. poisoned
the mind of man not too wise under IA
yora Bile conditions and destroyed his sense
of respons ibility." On this the New
York Times explains that "the vice OF the
system is the belief that any man can have
any right to position In the public SER
vice" William Waldorf Astor's Pail Mall
Gazette observes that 1.-THE lamentable az
fair contains an object lesson against the
methods of municipal government which
obtain throughout the United States"
These writers appear to think that it is the
rage for municipal office which arms the
hand of the assassin. The English Ameri-
Gao Astor holds that we would have no
more murders of prominent men if we
established in this country King. Lords
and Commons. with parochial vestries for
municipal affairs. Astor is ahead OF the
American writer's in that he offers sub
stitute for the deatb-dealing institutions
he denounces, while neither the Chicago
Tribune nor the New York Times tells us
what we shall do when we have abolished
self-goverment in cities.
To have any latent connection between
American institutions and the production
of craDks like Guiteau and Prendergast
seems difficult. The normal effect of those
institutions should be to develop 1.-THE
sense of individual responsibility. which
would check illogical crime. In the con-
| fused mind OF Russian nihilst an opin-
! ion often prevails that the removal OF the
! head of the State would abate political
abuses which are shocking. No such
| Illogical reasoning can gain ground In the
mind of a rational American, because he
knows that the institutions under which
he lives do not depend on any mans life.
/ Nor can il be said that the working OF
self government in this country is calcu-
! lated TO influence the passions. Our sys-
tenn OF conducting public business is cold
and mechanical; it recognizes no appeal
to feeling; it is as dispassionate as piece
| of steel machinery. 1t is difficult to see
how such a system can be fairly charged
with deeds which are alterations OF mind
and outbursts of ill-regulated instincts.
To draw a comparison between the de-
| velopment of cranks with murderOus pro-
| pensuies In the United States and 10 mon
| archical countries, similarity OF general
| conditions must be supposed. Ii the crank
| could carry out his purpose as readily in
monarchical country as In the United
States we should have more of his exploits
| in the former class of countries.
| 1t was as easy for Guteau to shoot
| President Garfield as for him to shoot any
other public man In Washington. So with
the murder of Carter Harrison. The
Mayor allowed himself 10 be awakened
from his sleep TO meet any chance visitor,
| and Prendergast took advantage OF the
! Mayors good nature. 1t is not, perhaps.
| possible TO exterminate cranks. but they
may be suppressed. The idea may be i'm
pressed upon their minds in the early
stages Of their malady that punishment
will follow the commission of crime. One
does not get so far in the way to the ire
sponsible condition as to lose knowledge
of the fact that killing is a crime. without
attracting attention which will lead to
| confinement. The murderous crank is an
object lesson in this way. BE shows that
we have been too considerate of his kind.
We have been too ready to announce that
a person was irresponsible because be
showed himself in some respects to be IT.
ration al. The love of notoriety is often a
disease. There are men who would rather
years in obscurity. The brutal murderer
of little Mamie Kelly was of that class.
Guiteau was another. Prendergast may
be another, but that remains to be seen.
1t is idle to say that all provocation shall
be removed. Men must put up with prov
ocation and bear with disappointments.
If they neglect self-discipline they must
take the consequences. In this country
we cannot afford to shut public men in a
cage however well appointed. We want
easy approach to the men whom we have
selected to administer our laws. The
execution OF Guteau had a certain effect.
but the object lesson would be more yalu-
able if we had tried him in two days and
executed him the third day after.