Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-12-26
Anarchy and Free Speech.

AudTCul anu FT00 Sp66CHs
The assassination Of President Nc
KinleY has resulted in the presentation
to congress of q number of anti-anarchy
bills. In a republican form of govern
ment this sort of legislation should be
scrutinized with the most Jealous care.
The cornerstone of a representative
government is freedom of opinion, and
freedom of opinion necessarily implies
that the channels through which men
become acquainted with others views
should be wholly unobstructed. Cen
sorship of opinion is incompatible with
government founded upon the will OF
the people. The will of the people is
formed from the average of individual
opinion. Any attempt to restrict
opinion by law, or to suppress it's free
expression, is an effort to poison popu-
lar government at it's source. There
is, however, a safe rule to guide the
legislator in dealing with anarchy and
kindred evils. Opinion, and the ex-
preston of opinion, should be left IN
trammeled; but acts in co~ntravention
of law should be dealt with vigorously.
For instance, the anarchist has a
perfect right. under our constitution,
to advocate his social theories. If he
can convince a sufficient number of his
fellow citizens of the wisdom of his
theories, they may, by constitutional
means, change Dr. abrogate the con-
stitution, and establish government
along their own lines, or permit society
to go back to primitive conditions;
but the moment they attempt to real
ize their ideas by unlawful acts they
should be treated as other law-break-
ers. A man may believe it would be
better to abolish our form of gov
eminent, to wipe out every Office, from
President to constable; there is a per-
fectly legitimate way for him to pro-
coed in carrying his opinions into
effect: II he can get the majority of
his fellow citizens to agree with him,
they can overthrow the constitution
and place their notions upon the statute
book; but the man who assaults the
or any other officer, or burns
a house, or advises it, becomes a
proper subject for the law to deal with.
The Mormon may believe that Joseph
Smith and Brigham Young were
divinely appointed to represent the
upon the earth, and that a
man should have as many wives as he
desires; but the moment he marries
q second wife while the first one is
still living the law will place him in
side the walls of the ~penitentiary. and
no fair minded man has any right to
complain.
The legislation contemplated by the
Curtis bill is almost entirely vicious.
Its provision for making the killing of
The President, or any chief officer of the
government, or an assault with intent
20 kill any such officer, a felony pun
with death, is legitimate, pro-
the same penalty be made to
attach to said crimes in all cases. Its
provision for making a conspiracy to
any such act a felony punish
8 all right if the term conspiracy is
and limited to overt acts, but
he section that proposes to make the
Infusion of the doctrine OF anarchy
with death, is clearly
vrong. The diffusion of a doctrine is
a matter with which the law can
properly deal under our form of gov
,rnment. Inciting the overthrow of
he government by unlawful means,
md advising the killing of officials, is
! proper matter for legislation; but
here Limitations should be intro
luced, so the court could not be used
or the purpose of suppressing OBJ
loxious opinions under the pretense
hat they were Furnishing people who
engaged in melting rebellion ana
murder.
The next section makes it a crime.
with Imprisonment in the
Ito join, organize. or aid
nd assist in organizing, or to belong
0 an anarchist society. club or organ
or to join, organize or aid and J