New-York tribune., 1901-09-18
PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE.
SEND AvowED ANARCHISTS To THE INSANE.
ASYLUM
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: Your editorial in this mornings issue PRO
lection for the President" is clear and convincne
The constitutional difficulties confronting the o1es
tion OF adequate punishment for assault on the
President are very great. and any attempt TO sur
mount them would result in more harm than holm
to the situation. Increase of penalty for assas
sination would be challenge which anarchists
would gleefully accept for the basic princinIe os
their awful work is self-devotion to suicide Your
conclusion that in this direction possibly no sc
tion at all is necessary will not be generally dis
puted by rejecting people The remedy must he
applied elsewhere, and the principle that pre
vention is better than cure No one will denv that
in this terrible affair Emma Goldman was more
criminal than CzOlsoSZ. even though direct con-
spiracy should be triumphantIy disproved Tha
question is how to cure anarchism: or how To pro
vide an ehectuai remedy for the pronunciation os
anarchistic sentiments and doctrine
This remedy be found. but it must be soupb,
for, not upon the supposition that because the
anarchist declares himself as against governnpor,
therefore he is without the pale of society and
society itself is against him Rather he must ba
dealt with deformed member of society and
on the principle that society never save itself
from anarchiSm except by such measures as shall
save the anarchist from himself
Furthermore, any measures taken. in order 70 be
effective, must be not only vigorous but kind. so
clear of vindictveness that there can be no an
pearance of heroism in either resisting or endrrfnr
their application
In keeping with these principles perhaps many
remedies might be suggested. but the purpose OF
this writing is to submit the following which would
doubtless. be both constitutional and effective:
Let the State Legislature enact law defining thu
serious avowal of and adherence auarchistic doc
trine. such encourages violence against govern
ment rulers. prima facte evidence OF in
sanity; not such renders the subject in anv re-
spect or degree Irresponsible for his acts out in
large; and let the statute require that any srch
person shall be committed to institution FOR the
insane, there 10 be kept with degree OF isola-
tion from other inmates and from the outside
until such time complete OF the mental
moral malady shall be effected, even though the
period or detention should cover the remainder OF
the patients natural life. Let the statute provide
minimum limit to the period OF commitment
say one year. and like period of convaescence to
follow the last appearance of outward symptoms
of the disease.
At first suggestion this measure might be object
ed 10 on the ground OF its cost to the State. but
such cost would not be tithe of the expense
to shadow these people long as they are permit
ted to be at large Furthermore. the deterrent ef-
feet of such statute would produce such magical
cures In individual that the probable cost 10
the State would never aggregate amount equal
TO the expense of the trial of a single assassin.
New-YOrk is the first State within whose limits
President has been seriously injured by wouid-be
making body TO set example to other State leg
islatures in this matter. As citizen Of the Empire
State. the writer makes this suggestion in all
seriousness. hoping contribute something
the solution of this difficult problem c. j. y.
Mount Vernon. n. Y, Sept. TO- 1901.