The Washington times., 1901-09-16
The Lesson of the Tragedy.

While expressing the deepest sorrow
at the murder of President Mckinley,
the European press takes occasion TO
administer a mild reproof to the Uni
ted States for the readiness with which
1t has afforded an asylum to the vicious
and iawless scum of the world. Meas
urably the reproof is deserved. There
never has been a time when known
criminals from other lands were well
come in the United States, but such
has been our high regard for freedom
in the abstract that our immigration
laws have been extremely lax through
the fear that stringency might exclude
some really deserving persons. AS to
political offenders the liberality of SEN
timent has been still greater. The
American Republic was born of a re-
volt against despotic power and it was
but natural that once freed from for
eign dominion. the Americans should
go to an extreme in their sentimental
devotion to what was believed To be the
spirit of liberty.
Hence. those who have engaged in
rebellions and conspiracies against the
monarchical governments of other
countries have generally been received
here with open arms and greeted as
patriots. In many cases, perhaps most
of them. this course has been justifi-
able and proper. But the tendency of
it has been to blind US to the true dis
tinctions that should be kept ever in
view. Rebellions even against mon
arches of a despo:ic character may be,
and sometimes are, wholly devoid of
merit because of the character aims,
and purposes of those engaged in the
rebellions. We have been too much in
clined to ignore this obvious truth. AS
a result we have even looked with a
degree of tolerance upon anarchy. We
have regarded the anarchist rather in
the light of an extreme protestant
against arbitrary power, and although
not inclined to justify his methods there
has been some little disposition to ex-
cuse.
The ruthless and utterly causeless
murder of President Mckinley should,
and doubtless will, effect a marked
change of American feeling with re-
spect to these matters, and especially
as regards anarchy. A more kindly,
genial, and sympathetic personality
than that of Mr.. Mckinley, it would
be exceedingly difficult to find, either
in private or official life. Every instinct
of his nature was gentle, and whatev-
er differences of opinion may have ex-
listed as to the wisdom of certain fea-
lures of his policy, there is not the
slightest reason to doubt that his chief
desire as President was to confer the
greatest possible amount of happiness
upon the people whose Chief Magistrate
he was. The magnetic warmth of his |
smile, and the gentle tones of his voice |
when greeting his feliow-citizens were |
enough TO disarm malice in any heart |
not dead to every instinct of humanity. !
And yet he was deliberately and cru
ely shot to death by a thing in human |
shape, whose only excuse was that |
of being an anarchist and not believing |
in government at all. In a broad sense,
and considering the results of such a !
doctriISe, could ii be carried out, the
excuse is even worse than the actual
crime committed. horrible as that was
in it's conception and execution.
The American people now have proof. |
full and plenary, that the bloody hand
of the anarchist Is raised not merely