The Washington times., 1901-09-11
Circulation Statement
Advertising Anarchy.


thanks of the country for the common
sense stand he took at Buffalo, in in
sisting that the degraded wretch who
attempted the Presidents life should
not be advertised, or have his vanity
fed by newspaper articles or pictures.
1t is a strange but well ascertained
feature of a certain sort of criminal de-
generacy that nothing incites the mis-
cradle creatures who compose the an
archist groups to assaults upon prom
inent or great people as much as the
conviction that their crimes will bring
them publicly and sensationally into
connection with men whom they could
not have approached in the ordinary re-
lations of life. The Buffalo case was
exceptional, in that it furnished evil
dence that anybody. no matter how
vile may shake the hand of the Presi-
dent of the United States, and shoot or
stab him in the act; but the principle is
the same. and all the more dangerously
because OF the ease with which cranks
or anarchists can bring themselves in
contact with the elected ruler of the
greatest of free governments.
Secretary Roots proposition is the
correct one, and ii would be well if it
could be carried to its logical conclusion
in all cases of the kind under consiiera-
tion. For example, if it could have been
possible to conceal the identity of the
assailant of President Mckinley, keep
him in solitary confinement, and let him
appear before the public only when put
ial int, in, hn civ
stances, could be made brief and almost
perfunctory, the anarchist lust for noto-
riety would be defeated. Already there
has been too much of newspaper ad-
vertisement of the dirty wretch whose
pistol has laid an American President
upon bed of anguish. and brought him
in imminent peril Of death. All that
sort of thing should stop instanter, and
we think it proper to call upon the re-
spectacle press of the country to join
with us in suppressing everything con-
nected with the case calculated to give
prominence Ito the personality of the
criminal, and thereby to feed the blood
thirsty vanity of his fellow anarchists.
Anarchism feeds on notoriety. Take
1t away, and anarchism would come
close to starving for sustenance. We
know from experience that wide publi-
cation of the details of a particularly
atrocious crime is usually followed by
the repetition cf the same crime in
same with suicides. There are periodi-
cal epidemics of self murder by hang
ii-g, drowning, by carbolic acid, and by
the knife. These are often traceable 10
some notable suicide by some defined
means which has excited the magma
tions of suicidally disposed persons gen
orally
The rule applies more than strongly
to crimes committed or attempted
against public men. Where the circum-
stances and the career of the offender
are made subjects for sensational treat
ment in the press, the known tendency
of such exploitation is TO fill the disor-
dered minds of enemies of society with
ideas of emulation. Today the anarch-
lists OF New York. Paterson, Cleveland.
Chicago, and a score of other American
cities and towns are rejoicing over the
crime of the brute at Buffalo, and are
lauding him as a hero. 1t would be diff
ferent if he coulG have been quietly re
moved from public view. and his name
and career suppressed for the time be-
ing. Anarchism is a disease which VIII
not yield TO ordinary remedies. 1t re-
quires unusual powers in the hands Of
those in authority. 1t demands heroic
but quiet treatment. Secretary Root
has exactly the right idea about it. and
we hope that whatever national legisla-
ton may be enacted to provide for
crushing out the evil will have his
views in contemplation.