The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-09-21

| to the open door of another world no
palliation is possible; and for the
| criminal the most charitable thought
| is that he may have been irresponsi-
bly, mad. But upon these thoughts.
| with all the sad and bitter emotions
they arouse. other thoughts obtrude.
In the lawless spirit which this
| crime has excited, soberminded men
will see more to deplore and more
for the republic to fear, even than in
the crime itself
When the assassin's shots We're
fired and President Mckinley fell.
the spectators and the great crowds
surrounding them because a revenge
full mob. 1t was not unnatural. The
first impulse of most men who witness
the preparation of a crime they abhor
is to tear the criminal to pieces. just
as it is the first impulse of women to
weep. Things like these are within
the category of panic. and panic
knows no law. But they are temper
airy Outbursts. which. as a rule, speed
Ivy give way to better emotions.
These manifestations need give no
one concern for the future Of the re.
public. Not so, however, with much
that has happened since. Christian
preachers have intimated that they
would welcome lynch law. Reputable
citizens have coOlly urged criminal
acts against prisoners charged with
crime and argue that our institutions
ailOW too much liberty One distin-
guished senator has given an inter
view to the press saturated with the
spirit of lawlessness. and other public
men have initiated him. Enactments
of laws modelled after the Infamous
alien and se1ition laws of a century
ago are deliberately advised
The newspapers, instead of trying
to calm popular excitement. to hold
possible mObs in check, to foster
law-abiding and orderly public spirit,
have. with few honorable exceptions
endeavored to fan every spark of pop
ular Indignation into a flame OF law
lessness. Instead of demanding that
all the safeguards with which the law
defends liberty AMI shields innocence
be observed, lney applaud the police
and spur them on when in futile
search for mythical accomplices Of the
| assassin the police contemptuOusly
ignore these safeguards. The police
have made dOmiciliary visits they
have seized persons ana papers with
out warrant: they have subjected pris-
| Oners to secret cross-eXamnation
| after the manner Of courts Of first in.
stance" in continental Europe, but
| without the protection which those
| courts throw around the innocent
Beyond this official lawlessness, cab
met officers and congressman. forget
full Of the historic motives for limit
l inc treason n I. i,o LD
republic, are gravely promising to in
| clude assaults upon the president
among acts of treason: and even the
cabinet is reported to have agreed
upon measures to be pressed upon con
gress which, If enacted, would danger
ously augment the central power
For those reactionary measures also
the press is raising a hue and cry
These are things which make one Won
der If popular fears may indeed be
played upon to the extent of causing
the American people to throw away
| what has been gained for freedom
during centuries of heroic struggle
If this un-American behavior were
but an impulsive expression of true
patriotic sentiment. if it were only a
Temporarily distorted manifestation of
! ouVNtIou III We SIJIIIt VI llDtIlN UHutI
law that we have been trying for
more than century to foster in this
country then it might be encouraging.
In that case. abhorrent as il would
still be to all sancly patriotic minds.
we SHOULD know that the old affection
for the American ideals is still alive.
even though for the moment they are
discarded. But no such interpreta-
tion is possible
We shall study in vain such mani
festations of excitement as have oc.
Cured and such preventive and punt
tive legislation as has been proposed.
to find even a sicklv germ of affection
for the democratic institutions of our
republic
There is In all this something pc
culiarly sad to Americans. who. de-
scended from revolutionary patriots,
have inherIled the democratic spirit
of the revolution. They do not re-
gard this republic as perfect But
they do regard it as the beginning of
what has every possibility of becon-
ing as perfect republic as man is
capable Of developing.
It is with no lightness of heart
therefore. that they reflect upon at
tempts on the one hand and assassin
ating their chief public servant. and
observe upon the other a forebodine
tendency to stamp out such crimes
by turning the republic in a despo
tism. They cannot view with salts
faction the disposition to wreak ig
noble vengeance upon the assassin
rather than subject him with dignity
to the processes and penalties of reg
ularly administered law: they cannot
remain silent while policemen dis
play contempt for laws they are APP
pointed to execute. especially whom tho
public tolerates this most dangerous
species Of anarchy; they cannot bu
deplore the apparent willingness of :
large class of their fellow citizens
to discard the safeguards of liberty fol
which their fathers fought.
: II 1t be true. as some say. thai
foreigners who have not learned Oul
j, theory of government take advantage
OF its exceptional freedom to plot as
sassination. it is also true that Amer
: leans who have forgotten our theor,
OF government are urging us on no