Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-09-25
The Anarchist Problem.

The Anarchist Problem.
There has been vast deal Of talk
ing, writing and preaching of late
about how this nation can best guard
itself against anarchists and their per-
nicious doctrines. Some of the pro-
posed remedial legislation is as alb
surd as it is impossible. We need to
guard ourselves against the rather
common fallacy in this country that
all the ills that affect mankind can be
removed by passing some specific law.
There is no short road passable to
the complete extirpation of the an
archists. Russia, with unrivaled ia
ciities for suppressing every form of
sedition, has tried it for years in vain.
Germany, whose police are present at
every public gathering, and who lis
ten to every public utterance, is I'M
able re s"crress it. AS much anarch-
ism is rampant in these countries as
ever; nay, it is believed to have in
creased.
Excessive punishment has been
much talked about as remedy-that
any attempt whatsoever upon the
Presidents life should be punished by
death. But that would not prevent
such attempts, and inasmuch as the
death of the perpetrator is then as
sured, he would take no chances of
failure, but would be all the deadlier
in his attack, more fierce to kill and
MAIN all who stood in his way.
Another remedial measure proposed
in some of our contemporaries is that
we should expel all anarchists. This
is visionary on the face of it, for if
we expel them, where shall we send
them? Besides, clause in our con-
stitution stands fatty opposed to any
such procedure.
A further remedial measure sug-
gested is to prohibit anarchists from
holding public meetings to draw in
and win hearers TO their crazy doc
trines. This, too, would be against
the spirit of our institutions, and in
violation of our constitution. Be-
sides, it is better that their meetings
should be held in public, that the au-
thorities may know who they are, and
what are their utterances. There can
be no denial of the right of free
speech in this country, nor any at
tempted enforcement of such denial
by the policeman's club. The people
of the country never would consent
to be denied the right to meet when
and where they choose to discuss any
thing they think may concern them
and theirs.
Nothing despotic can be done.
There is already federal law ~. S.
R. S. $500 that provides for the pun
ishment of sedition and conspiracy
against human life, the advantage of
this law being that it permits the fed
eral COVER lment to exercise all its ia
cilities for the unearthing of sedirious
conspiracies il there are any.
The country, however, is not help
less in this matter. There are some
sane and possible preventive meas
ures of state and national enactment.
1t should be required that an attempt
upon the life of the President should
be disposed of in the federal courts.
and carry the punishment OF life inn
prisonmens ii the attempt fails or
death If the attempt succeeds.
Then in the matter of anarchist inn
migration: Our immigration laws
should provide for their prompt de-
portation. We already send back
paupers, lunatics, criminals; we can
also keep out anarchists, since it is
shown they are dangerous and OBJ
jectionabie class.
We can and must guard our Presi-
dent more effectively from near APP
preach of unknown or suspicious
characters. Let the high Office of
President carry with it hereafter
wise exclusiveness. 1t is better that
we, the people, be denied too close a
personal contact with our President.
and learn to think of him more as a