The morning call., 1894-08-03
LAWS AGAINST ANARCHISTS.

The assassination of President Carnot
has led to the passage of new law against
anarchists in France, and to the Introduc-
tlon of a bill in the House of Lords in
England restricting the immigration of
dangerous foreigners. The French law,
| which spassed the Chamber by 26S to 163,
and the Senate by 205 to "a, is very dras-
tic measure. 1t deprives persons accused
of anarchical plots of the protection which
other prisoners enjoyed under the criminal
code. A suspect may be arrested at the
will of the secret police and thrust into
solitary confinement. He cannot apply for
habeas corpus. He may have counsel,
but it is made difficult for him to obtain
competent counsel. He has no right to a
jury trial. His trial must be conducted in
private. His sentence. if he is convicted.
is executed at some unknown time and
place. Among those who are liable to be
arrested as suspects are authors and pub
fishers of articles calculated to incite mur-
der pillage, incendiarism, outrages by
means of explosives and all attempts
against the security of the state, and all
who avow sympathy with such articles, or
excuse the consequences which may follow
their publication. This law does not su-
persede the present articles Of the code
providing for the punishment of murder,
or arson, or assault or outrage; it merely
supplements them by striking at accom-
plces before and af'er the fact.
The English bill is more coDformable to
the spirit of the common law, and is
formed on the model Of the United States
statutes restricting immigration. 1t en-
powers the Govern ment to exclude from
the soil of Great Britain all Immigrants
who are idiots, insane. paupers. or per-
sons likely to become a charge on the
public. persons afflicted with a contagious
disease, or persons whose presence is
dangerous to the public peace in England.
or likely to promote the commission of
crime elsewhere. Lord Salisbury, who in
troduced the bill, declared that his in ten
ton was to prevent Euglaud being used
as basis of anarchist operations against
other countries, and he added that the
murder of President Carnot had been
planned in London. Speaking for the Gov
ernment, Lord RoseDery stated that he
would not oppose The bill, but that the
administration would hestow on It a
thorough study with view of giving it
their support if possible.
These measures may, perhaps, be re-
garded as the opening wedge for a general
international treaty against anarchists.
They are the culls of the supremeIy vicious
class that is found in all nations. AS the
old Latin jurists used to say. they are
enemies Of the human race, and it is the
duty of every nation that finds them to
get rid of them. For all the purposes of
scientific classification, Guteau and Santo
are kith and kin.
Some doubt exists whether our laws are
sufficient to hold imported anarchy in
check. At such anarchist centers as Chi
cago there Is demand among respectable
people for repressive statutes which would
enable the public to anticipate lawess out
breaks. In New York the present laws
are regarded as suffi lent to cope with any
trouble which is likely to occur. That
view prevails here likewise. But there is
no saying what the future may bring
forth. An International combine against
anarchists in Europe might drive many of
them to this country; and then we might
have to devise new measures for their sup-
preston.