Arizona daily citizen., 1901-11-07


The Times has n violent hatred of
anarchy. and never permits itself to
forget that all who are not in accord
with it's views ON public or semi-publc
questions are essentially anarchists
If an intelligent foreigner deprived OF
other medium OF information. were to
read the Los Angeles Times regularly
hr would pcrforre become convinced
that this country was overrtln by an
archists and that our government and
so, ia system were in serious danger
of destruction. This leads MS to ask.
is there really any danger to this
country from anarchism" We mean
anarchism i'll It's proper sense OF oppo-
sition to all government the theory
that government in any form is wrong
and unnecessary. and not the ignorant
definition of the l.ns Angeles Times.
That newspaper habitually gives a
broader and entirely incorrect detin-
ton of anarchy Identifying with 1t
mere lawlcssncss. or opposition To any
principle to which The Times is COM
mittcd Anarchsm IL a theory, prin-
ciplc, and not the mere outbreak Of
individual passion or resistance to re-
straint In sense anarchism is law
lessness, but not all lawlcssness is an
archism.
We have had three Presidents assas-
sinatod in this country. but only one
of them by an anarchist The other
assassinations were by partisans OF
course they were not sustained in their
action by the parties or factions with
which they affiliated as the anarchist
is. but the underlying motive which
urged them to their crimes was parti-
san feeling.
Booth was not an anarchist He did
not believe that government was es-
sentially bad. His theory was that
Iiueoln's government was tyrannleaf.
It was an insane thought that prompt
ed an insane deed. but it may we'll DC
questioned that any man who is work
ed up to the crime of assassination II
really sane. Guiteau was not an anar-
chist. What he wanted was not the
absence of government but different
! control of government and an office
for himself. There have been other as
Sassnations than those of Presidents
of this country. and other attempted
assassinations Where can you point
to one that was due to anarchism?
Anarchism is not a natural product
of free country 1t is the fruit of
repression. Given free press and
free speech men may voice their real
or imagined wrongs and learn from
the opinions of their fellow men that
they are not such victims as they
imagine. But stifie expression. sup
press freedom Of thought and speech,
make those who think they have
cause for complaint gather in secret
places and whisper their grievances 10
those who sympathize, and you have
the basis for anarchism The natural
tendency in such n case is to consider
those who suppress complaint as the
immediate authors OF the evils com
planned of
Amy individual Tan readily see the
evils Of the vices of others, but not the
evils of his own vices. The gamestar
may loatho drunkenness. but he sees
no harm in gambling So with ma
tons American detcstati0n of anar-
fhl@m Is SO universal because anar-
chiSm Is foreign. 1t is not native
product But Americans do not see so
clearly the evils of intense partisan
snip, because it is their own defect.
ANA moderate partisanship is not an
HYll 1t is almost essential to p0puIar
government. 1t is intcmperance in
this, as in many other things. that de-
serves condemnation No sane man
can consider the paftisanship of the
Los Angeles Times admirable or bene-
hrial, even though it shows a danger
Gus tendency to spread.