The evening times., 1900-07-31
The murder Of King Humbert.

So soon after the assassination Of the
Austrian Empress Elizabeth. and the at
tempt TO kill the Prince Of Wales. one
would have thought that the authorities Of
All European states would be on the alert
against Anarchists But IT appears that
even direct warning on July 20. that a
plot to take King Humbert's life existed
did not seriously impress that unfoI tunate
monarch. or lead his ministers 70 take
effective measures for his protection. The
report that four or five other rulers have
beSn marked for destruction by the same
sochecy which probably is responsible for
the death Of ItaIy's sovereign. may or may
not have any foundation in fact but in any
case it shcIld not be ignored or treated
with contempt.
II would be quite consistent With tseIr
morbid egotism and their mania for spec
tacular effect for the Anarchists TO sig
nalize the close Of the nineteenth century.
lin which their cult was bo.n. by a seris s
Of atrocities such as the siEu- IN Gus muir
der OF half q dozen princes would present
People who are in a position to note IN
dercuTr5nt social phenomena ard move
meEts, have known OF a significant ac ivity
in the United States amo-E as oc.atiols
Of persons understood 80 rcll a-arcList,c
views. for many months past. The pes
enCe in Paterson. New Jersey. OF Count
MaIatesta. recognized as chief o. the Euro
pean Anarchists, and who remained there
from last January until about SIX w=eEs
ago. was known 70 the police OF the city.
He made no effort 10 conceal his identity
He held anarchist meetings openly. as ap-
pears TO be the fashion o. the town. a-d
started a weekly Journal in the interests
Of his propaganda So HttIe attert.Cn was
paid to the matter locally. that evea the
entcrprising metropolitan press. always
eager fer sensational pabu-um, as far az We
can remember. never lit uuon th- Eact IN
the assassin king was only tew miles
over the river in New Jersey. presumably
organizing trust for the wholesale butch
cry Of princes.
The Paterson police may be correct n
saying that they have no legal rishl TO
interfere with public meetings conducted
in al orderly manner, even IL cases where
speeches are made advocating tho asss.s;-
nation cf heads Of governments with
which the United States is on friendly
terms. We think it strange. however. that
professional interest should not have suz-
gssted to them the propriety Of advising
sister organizations. such as the New Yorl,
and Washington police departments. of
the manifestations which were taking
place under their eyes.
The truth is that the people Of this
country cannot afford TO allow it to be
made the safe and permanent Matching
ground Tor political and social consoiracies
against the lives Of prominent men in
other lands The very presence here of
persons capable Of such plots is q menace
10 posterity and the future of the nation.
If not Immediately 10 its peace and coed
order. Americans hate assassination as
much as they love liberty. Honorable.
open revolution against oppression. wheth-
er it be the oppression OF monarchy, oil
garchy. OF what not. is respectable in
principle; while the cold -blooded murder
Of persons like the Empress Elizabeth and
King Humbert who were irresponsible
for the conditions against which Socialists
and Anarchists protest and revolt, is moth
ing but insane and execrable. The re-
peated assassination of Russian Cars has
not tended to bring constitutional govern
ment to Russia Humbert is dead, but TIE
King OF Italy lives in the person of Victor
Emmanuel Kill him. and King Amadeus
would step into his place. While there
alties TO fill them