The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-07-05
AN OBJECT LESSON.
How Popular Intolerance Packs
Juries and Sends men to the
GallOwS.

How Popular Intolerance Packs
Juries and Sends men to the
GallOws.
The Dangerous Power of the
Courts and, the Press.
We want it clearly understood that
we have no sympathy with Aqaor-
chasra. 1t is an attempt to overthrow
all government; while the peoples
party seeks to extend the powers of
government, for the benefit of the
people. Anaqchssnn. could only find
lodgment in brains driven to mad
ness by old-world oppression and
wretchedness. There is no place for
it in these United States. and will
not be, we trust ever, in the future.
There is no doubt that in 1886
there was intense passion in Chicago,
growing out of labor struggles; riots
followed, and a number of human be-
ings were killed or MANNED. And
there is no doubt that some of the
leaders INDUCED in appeals to vio-
lence, and indictments to bloOdshed,
that were unlawful and wrong, and
that should have been punished by
imprisonment for period of months
or years. In this time of wrath and
passion and mutual recrimination a
dynamite bomb was thrown, on Hay
market Square, which exploded and
killed several policemen and wound
ed many more. If the man who
threw that bomb had been captured
and convicted he should have swung
for it. No one doubts that What
ever may have been the provocati6n
it was horrible crime. Eight lead
ers, orators and editors of the labor
ing men, were arrested, tried and
convicted of completely in the throw
ing Of that bomb-four of them were
hanged, one committed suicide, two
were sentenced to imprisonment for
life, and one to imprisonment for fif-
teen years. It was not pretended
that either one of these eight men
threw that bomb; and some of them
were not even at the meeting at
which it was thrown; but it was
claimed they had made incindiary
speeches at different times, and that
they were morally and legally re-
sponsible for the crime committed.
There is no doubt that if man tells
another to throw a bomb, and he
throws it and death follows, he is as
much murderer as the one who fol-
lows his directions. But if one makes
a general harangue, in period Of
great excitement, against oppression,
and urges men to defend themselves,
to the death, and a second party, in
another place, commits a crime, one
must proceed very carefully in es-
tablishing line of cause and effect be-
tween the talker and the doer. For
instance, before our civil war broke
out such men as Horace Greeley,
Wendell Phillips, Lloyd Garrison,
and hundreds of others uttered the
fiercest TRADES against black slavery;
and called upon the negroes to rise in
insurrectiOn and achieve their free
dom; they denounced the very consti-
tuition of the United States, as "a
league with death and covenant
with hell" They did, however,
nothing but talk; but one John
Brown, practical man, proceeded to
carry their teachings into effect, by
arming the slaves with guns and
pixies, and state of civil war and
bloodshed followed, and Brown was
finally captured and executed. And
the people of Virginia, red hot with
rage and indignation "declared that
Phillips and Greeley and Garrison
and the rest were particeps criminis,
and they demanded their punish
ment on the gallows; and if they
could have gotten possession of their
bodies they would, without doubt,
have swung them q long side old COS
sawotomie Brown;'Npd every radical
abolitionist of the north would have
dangled at the ropes end with them.
But while it is true that those men
violated the laws of peaceful land
which recognized slavery as a legal
institution, by melting to insurrec-
tion; yet few, l think, will claim that
they were guilty Of murder with
Brown and his associates. If this
were not so then the poets, John G.
Whittier and Robert Burns and
Johann Schiller might be held re-
sponsible for every act Of violence
committed by others, at any time or
place, under the inspiration of their
magnificent appeals for liberty and
justice.
| While, then, we have no sympathy
with anarchism, and no defense for
the men who talked wildly or wicked
| ly against law and order, we believe
that every man, however wrong or
mistaken should not be convicted of
a crime unless he is clearly guilty of
| r.. n I,of 1,o