Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-10-02
Laws 10 Suppress Anarchy.


anarchy. if the present laws are no;
thought sufficient for this purpose. is
an immediate national duty. The
press, the pulpit and our public men
have been of one voice in uttcrinS this
sentiment since tie awful intelligence
was flashed over the land that an
avowed anarchist had shot down our
beloved President. If present laws are
sufficient to- meet the emergency. then
well and good. Let them be cnforcd
with all stringency until the shame Of
sheltering those who oppose all au-
thOr;ty and, law and order no longer
stains the name of this free land. The
nests Of these vipcrs in America
must be crushed out by some means.
If the states cannot do it. or neglect -
use their power to do it, the national
government must do it. II present
laws are not enough. or if new laws
will be more effective and more easily
operated, let new laws, ample in
scope. be enacted at the earliest op-
portunity.
An Ohio dispatch says that a num-
be. of the Republican candidates for
the legislature having expressed Il
purpose OF introducing bills on the
subject if they are elected in Novem-
ber Such action will come appro-
priateIy from that state. the latest
conspicuous victim of anarchistic doc
trines having been an Ohioan. Just
on what line this legislation will be
drawn is uncertain. There will doubt
less be many propositions, all of which
should be thoroughly discussed before
a law is passed. 1t is to be hoped
that Ohio will legisiate wisely on the
subject, as the result there may be
the model from which other states will
copy. There will only be few
legislatures in session. next winter.
and before most of them can act
Congress will probably have enacted
some national legislation on the sub
ject.
A Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia Press intimatcs that
Congress will not have an easy time
passing the proposed new laws along
this lire. Though the overwhelming
majority believes that vigorous laws
to wipe out anarchy should be passed
and enforced. there will doubtless be
fame by opposing all such legislation
on the ground that it is a restriction of
press. The correspondent goes so far
as to say: 1T is even doubtful if an
act is passed making deadly assault
upon the head of the government a
crime. to be adequately punished, and
giving the federal courts jurisdiction
in sch cases. There are so many
lawyers in Congress that when it
comes TO legal question there is
more difficulty in reaching an agree
ment than on any other kind of legis-
lation."
We hope the correspondent of the
Press is wrong. 1t is true that the
Constitution provides: Congress shall
make no law respecting an establish
ment OF religion. or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof or abridging the
freedom Of speech or of the press. or
the right of the people generally
peaceably to assemble. and to peti-
tion the government for redress Of
grievances" But his provision was
never meant to shield those who advo-
cate the destruction Of all government
the overthrow of civil society and the
assassination of those in authority.
pirate under black flag is no NOR,
the foe of society than the anarchist
under the red flag. but nobody ever
disputed the right of our government
10 take vigorous measures against
pirates. 1t is absurd to hold that the
government has no power to take
measures for its own preservation.
The anarchists who preach the over
throw of the government should have
no more mercy than the pirates of the
seas or the man-stealers of the slave
trade The two latter classes are
amenable 10 punishment under inter
ha'iohai law or agreement, and so
should the anarchist be.
AS 70 abridging the freedom of the
press. it is already done in the case of
ooseenity and other things. 1t is not
heiu That this is against the clause Of
'ne constitution quoted above. The
doctrines of the anarchists arc obscen-
'S and worse than obscenitv This
paper called L'Aurora. pub; he'd =,
spring Valley. H., in it's issue for Son,
A. published an article entitled ..Tbs
accident to Mr.. William Mckinley =.
!" winch it remarked that Mr.. McK;r,
l"y' when shot. was in the zenith n,
MS glory. in the full exercise Of III,
useless functions in tho ,,,;ds.