The Washington times., 1901-09-21
The suppression of Anarchi~m.

In the popular use of the term, an
anarchist is described in the Century
Dictionary as ''one who seeks to over
turn by violence all constituted forms
and institutions of society and govern
ment, all law and order. and all rights
of property, with no purpose of estab-
fishing any other system of order in
place of that destroyed" Measured by
this definition, the anarchist is what
this and other countries to their cost al
ready know him to be, the common enc
my of society, and morally an absolute
outlaw, whom it might be well to make
so legally in every country of the world,
nationally and internationally.
Not a few of the recognized anarch-
lists in the United States have declared
that there are two schools of anarchy
within the common cult one of which Is
opposed to force, but in favor of per
suasion and the education Of public
sentiment, while the other is the party
of dynamite, the dagger, and revolver.
1t is almost invariably found that the
confessors assert their adherence to the
milder form of the movement. These
explanations may be brushed aside as
mendacious. There are no anarchists
known who do not subscribe to the doc
trine of social terrorism through the as
sassination of rulers. In order to gain
converts. the pretence is made that no
member of the dark order is compelled
or expected tc promote or countenance
violent means. Violence, the apostles
of anarchy tell outsiders, is always the
wcrk of over enthusiastic individuals
for which the anarchist international
society is in no wise responsible.
The police of Europe, and now of this
country, know better Not an assassi-
nation or attempt at one has been COM
mitted against chiefs of state or prom
inent personages by anarchists in re-
cent times connected with which there
is not evidence of a carefully concocted
antecedent conspiracy. The murders Of
President Carnot of France, and of the
Empress Elizabeth of Austria Hun
gary, were not the deeds of individuals,
but were outrages carefully planned
and executed by the anarchist society
behind the assassins, who were mere in
struments, more or less willing The
chief of the international order, the un-
speakable villain Enrico Malatesta,
came to the United States and for
months consorted with the anarchist
group in Paterson, New Jersey. He
was particularly intimate with the
wretch Bresci. and it is believed by the
creature in craftsmanship and other
things essential to his impending mis-
sion to Italy, which was the assassina-
tion of King Humbert. The King fell
before Brescis bullet, as we too we'll re-
member. Malatesta disappeared, but
was openly In America again not long
ago. 70 a newspaper interviewer he is
reported as saying, while on his latest
visit: I'm whatever country / travel,
events happenr 1t was in the United
States he travelled, and it was not long
before an accursed event happened in
Buffalo. No doubt that was what he
had In mind.
1t is an established fact that the pur-
pose of anarchists. and all of them, is to
resort to murder, arson. and every other
crime in the calendar il by that course
they think that their aims will be pro-
NOTED. They are engaged in relentless
war against everything civilized beings
hold dear. They would not only abolish
government and property, but the fam
lily and marriage as well, and have all
mankind herd together in the vile pro-
miscuity they teach and practice them
selves.
Now. the grave question before the
American people is: Can we afford to
allow such vipers to exist among us? If
We do tolerate them. then the free insti-
tutions We have erected for the safety
and prosperity of all who live beneath
our flag have defeated their own pur-
pose. In any of our great communities,
II II were known that organizations ex-
listed whose objects were the burning of
public buildings. the robbery of banks,
or the kidnapping of the children OF
wealthy parents. how long does any
body suppose ii would be before such
associations We're broken up. and their
leaders and members placed behind the
bars? Anarchist groups, all of which
are affiliated with one another, and
with the central or executive groups in
Chicago and London, are a hundred
times more dangerous and intolerabIe
than the other kinds could be. On whist
ground of reason. then, should we al
low them to exist?
No doubt it is much easier to declare
that an evil must be eradicated than to
show how the work is to be accom-
plished.--But II would be poor concep-
tion of American society. and of its re-
sources. to hold that it is helpless in the
presence OF anarchism. If membership
in a band of burglars and being found
In possession of burglars tools be suf-
hcient offence to justify Imprisonment,
why not membership in a band of an
archists and the possession of their lit
erature teaching murder? In other
words. why might 1t not be possible to
legally define the profession Of anarch-
istic principles. combined with proven
affiliation with one of these assassina-
tion groups. as a crime punishable with
imprisonment indefinitely, and the for
feiture OF political and civil rights?
The instinct OF fself-preservation ought
TO be stronger than any sentimental
fear that we should be abandoning our