The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-10-12
OCTOBER
sAruaDAY. ocroRER il. laol.
ID supPREss ANARcHY.

TO SUPPRESS ANARCHY.
Former President Cleveland, in the
Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post,
makes parctical suggestion for the
suppression OF anarchy. It IS that
the anarchist be regarded and dealt
with as hahitual criminal, always
ready to commit murder, and hence
TO be suppressed aud punished as ase
Others known to mediate crime.
OF course it will be said that the
anarchists belief that all rulers
ought to be killed is mere opinion
and that we cannot punish men for
opinions, but only for acts. Yet we
do constantly punish mea for opin-
sons, and no one contends that liber,
ty i, thereby endangered. The habi-
ual thief holds the opinion that It is
better to steal than to work. Because
OF that opinion he is constantly watch
cd by the police and his neighhors and
often punished in various ways to pre-
vent him from committing his medi-
tated crime
The professvd anarchist holds the
opinion that the present organization
of society is wholly wrong and that
Il must be destroyed. Because Of
that opinion he counsels the murder
OF rulers. as the representative Of
society aud frequently finds some be
lIeyer like himself to commit murder.
Why should the anarchist who avow-
edly aims at murder, be treated with
greater consideration than the thief,
whore attack is upon property only?
Mr.. Cleveland has well voiced the
general feeling Of the American peo-
pie upon this subject
They see he declares. "vagrants,
common gamblers. suspected crimin-
ais and dlsorderly persons in the
hands Of The law fof the harm they
may do Of a feeble kind and within
marrow limits They cannot under
stand why anarchists. whose aiaboli-
cal character and teachings are or
ought to be well known. are allowed
10 plot and conspire until bloay assas-
sination strikes down the embodiment
OF benehcent rule and shakes the
foundations OF lawful authority.
None can suspect Mr. Cleveland OF
lack Of devotion to Democratic ideals
or Of leaning toward monarchy. His
opposition to this Nations recent ter
ritorial expansion istwell known to be
based upon the fear that the presens
nnlitness OF the people OF our new
possessions for all the privileges of
our own political institutions NAV
lead the nation 70 govern those lands
otherwise than according TO Demo
cratic ideals. Yet he Gees, as the
American people see, that with the
anarehl snerty nas degenerated in.
TO license wh.1n cannot be tolerated.
Our people" he truly says. love
liberty and are devoted 20 every guar
anty Of freedom to which their gov
eminent IS pledged In dealing with
anarchy. however, they impauently
chafe under the restraint which bids
them wait for the tragedy 1t prepares.
and 10 content themselves with visit
lng retribution upon its worthless and
miserable tools. II to suppress and
punish those who directly or by sug-
gest or incite assassination savors Of
monarchy. they are prepared to take
the departure"
IN our treatment Of the habitual
criminal we certainly have prece
dent for our guidance IN dealing with
the anarchist. Having declared war
upon all government and all ciylllza-
ton. the anarchist confesses himself
a criminal and a public enemy He
should be treated as such, and de-
priyed OF the liberty that he per
sists "a abusing Owing to the nature
OF his warfare .ne civil law is mani
festly unable TO effect his suppression.
Fortunately civilization has at
hand another agency for dealing with
those who deny its sanction and put
themselves outside it's pale That
agency Is the military law. TO which