The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-14
LOOKING FOR ANARCHISTS.
STATE DEPARTMENT Is VERY
BUSY JUST NOW.
Definition Of the Term Anarchist Is
Puzzler and May Cause Compli-
cations.

| New York, Aug. ia special 10 the
Herald from Washington says: The
treasury department is keeping a sharp
lookout for the anarchists now being
driven from France, Spain and Italy
by concerted action OF the great CONT
mental powers. No pains viii be spared
to prevent the United States from be-
ing made an asylum for these men.
Terrence V. Powderly, the new COM
missioner of labor, said that he would
adopt every remedy under the law to
exclude Plants, leader of the Spanish
anarchists, who has been conducted to
Havre by French officials and shipped
to New York The immigration author
tiles Will notify their officers at New
York and all large seaboard ports to
be on the lookout for anarchists headed
this way. 1t is expected that the Unit
ed States consul at Havre will give
specific information as to the ship
which Plants and his compatriots sail
on.
Mr.. Powderly's attention was called
to the subject because of the anarch-
list excitement following the assassina
ton of Premier Canovas. Gable reports
stated that the European powers were
combining to drive out the anarchists.
Mr.. Powderly felt satisfied that if this
Europe, a good part of the anarchist
element would be driven this way.
With a copy of the exclusion laws in
his hand, Mr.. Powderly pointed out the
steps to be taken, and also showed the
need of strengthening the laws in order
to deal with the anarchist class.
The law permits the exclusion of
persons who have been convicted of
a felony or other infamous crimes or
fcr,,
tude."
It also excludes persons likely to be-
come a public charge" These are the
only provisions which even indirectly
can be applied to anarchists, and the
bureau will be compelled to resort to
them. After the Barcelona anarchistic
agitation the French government sent
to the state department here a list c$
anarchists expelled from the country,
and expected to come to the United
States. The list was sent to the inmi-
grafton officers in New York, Philadel-
phia, Boston and other ports with in
structions to apply the law against an
archists named on the list. None of
them were apprehended, however, as
they either did not come or were SNUG
gled in by way of the steerage.
Mr.. Powderly was asked if he favored
strengthening the law so as to specifi-
cally exclude anarchists.
L most assuredly would favor a law
excluding from the United States every
criminal, incendiary and anarchist
answered Mr.. Powderly. There is no
trouble in fixing the status of the man
who has been convicted of a crime. but
the term anarchist has not been
clearly defined, so that it is difficult to
ascertain who the anarchists are"
Mr.. Powderly went on to show the
difficulties in the way of defining AN
archist." The latter acclaims to be a.
philosopher seeking to find an ideal
state Of government Mr.. Powderly
points out that It is only when the an
archist carries his philosophy to the
point of becoming an assassin or ad
vocate Of assassination. with incendiar-
ism. that the law can deal with him. It
cannot deal with him as an abstract
PHILOSOPHER.
The commissioner says that many
anarchists will not accept the title.
In the case Of Plants, the Spanish an
archiSt, there appears to be no doubt I
as to his character. Mr.. Powderly has /
long known of Plants. The fact that he 4
is expelled by France would probably
bring him within the section of the
law excluding those who had been con-
victed of an offense involving moral
turpitude.