Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-09-28

but We shouiu be CureIui not w IuSu
into excuses and become ourselves the
enemies and destroyers of those very
laws and institutions for attacking
which we denounce the anarchists.
In Virginia the other day we had u
sample of this sort of thing. and IT may
be expected In other directions. There
is always an element Of society that
floats to the top in times Of stress and
storm. hut which would never he heard
of except for the agitation that always
stirs IN the drcgs.
This element is composed of individ-
uals who seize upon every opportunity
to shout Away with him: cruelty
him. 1t is this element that com.
poses what Is commonly known as the
mob. And the mob here rs elsewhere
is and always has been the very es-
sence of anarchism. 1t is the mob that
takes the law in its own hands and
lynches people 1t is the mob that
breaks down jals and kills the officers
of the law. 1t is the mob that is ever
unthnking. nearly always unjust. new.
or reasoning. always acting in excess
and extravaganza. 1t was the mob
that turned the French revolution into
n soul-sickening horror. one huge.
ghastly massacre: it was the mob that
crucifed Christ.
So 1t Is with the mob to-day. and
those who think seriously of protect
ing society from its enemies should
turn their attention to the element,
which, constitute the mob.
Whenever one hears a loud.mouthcd
fellow talking about "leading n thous.
and men against the anarchists" or
about driving every id anarchist In
the country out of it." or again about
"marooning all anarchists In one isl.
and In the ocean" there you will find
an impractical. yawping fool who forms
one of the component parts Of the nv
erage mob. and who in his ignorance of
the law. and his own stupid folly IL
worse than any anarchist.
We all deplore the murder of Presi.
dent Mckinley. but he was not the
first illustrious and good man whose
life has been wantonly taken. Take
the case Of President Lincoln, for In
stance. He was murdered by Booth.
an American of English ancestry. We
cannot now recall all that was said or
done mt that time. No doubt there
were fools then rs now who wanted to
head a few thousand men and do
something. But one thing IL certain,
they didn't drive all the Anglo. 81 xons
out of America simply because one of
that race did deliberately murder the
greatest President the country ever
had and the greatest patriot this or
any other country has ever known.
SO II Is with regard to this question
Of anarchy. You can never destroy n
thought or an idea. You may prevent
men from giving expression to them.
but there the power Of society and Of
Its creature-the law-ends.
so long. however, as men have minds,
30 long will they have the power to en-
terrain their own. notions Of right and
wrong. and 30 long rs man mingles
with his fellow man 30 long will II be
In the power Of individuals to do Ger
tain acts such as the committing OF
murder. In what they believe to b.
furtherance Of their ideas or beliefs.
No law can protect or provide agains
that condition. As well might the peO
pie Of the United States undertake I,
legislate against the recurrence OF sucl
a storm as that which destroyed Gal
weston a few months ago.
The laws Of nature can never be reg
ulated by the laws Of man.
| There will be cranks and idiots, ant
degenerates In the world Us long as tho
world lasts, and no statute that cur
be devised and enforced will ever III
able to prevent their coming upon tn,
face of the earth. And SO long u,
there are cranks ana idiots and degen
crates, so long will II be possible fo
men In high places to be struck down
So long rs there are cranks and idiot
: ana degenerates so long will II be pos
sible for just men to be martyred, ant
for scribes ana pharlsees to go OF
spouting about the maintenance of lay
ana order.
This IL the sad lesson that the wOrl
has been taught time and again al
through the ages.