The sun., 1901-09-10
The Inviolabiiity Of the Presidonrs
Person.

Tho Invioiabiiity Of the President.
Person.
One Of the consequences Of the at
tempted assassination Of Mr.. MCKINLEY
will be that hereafter the free and un-
guarded intercourse of President
with the people will he restrained by
necessary regard for his security as an
individual and M the head 81 the State.
Hitherto our Presidents have gone
among thepcople without fear Of danger,
no matter how close the pressure OF the
crowds about them. The Office has been
surrounded with democratic simplicity
The President has been the most aces
sible man in the country. both in his
Official residence and as he has journeyed
through the country. Our American
custom has permitted everybody who
could reach him To shake his hand, so
that for hours together he has had to
stand and thus greet passing lines OF
thousands OF people until his right arm
was almost disabled by the process.
President has been treated as veritably
the father of his people. IL has been
made inc,imben, on his Office TO welcome
them all without discrimination; and
this democratic familiarity has steadily
Increased until at last il has reached
degree OF license which warns us rudely
that Il subjects President TO the danger.
and at this time Of anarchical mania,
even TO the probability OF murderous
assault.
n has become obvious that for his
own safety and for the security OF
our civilization the time has come
when there must be n change in the
manner of the relations OF the President
to the people.
The circumstances of the assault on
Mr.. MCKINLEY were very different from
those surrounding the assassinations OF
LINCOLN and GARFIELD. as also were
the motives for the crime. Mr. MCkIN-
LEY was actually engaged In receiving
tho people and democratically giving
them his hand to shake. according to
our American custom, when the shots
were Aired AT him by miscreant who
had reached him in the line under the
prctence Of desire TO receive the friendly
greeting. II IN impossible to protect
a President from violence under such
circumstance. In his absolute con-
fdence in the people he offers himself
ss n sure target for the assassin and a
regiment OF armed men gathered about
him could not protect him from assault
LINCOLN was assassnat ed while seated
in a box at a play, not while engaged
In such intercourse with the people,
and nj time when the rancor Of a great
civil war remained to madden spirit
like that Of WILKES BooTH. Any mon
arch In the world no matter how closely
his movements were guarded and how
sacrcd the official regard for his person
might have met the same fate under the
samc circumstances. President GAR
YrELD was in a railway station at Wash
ing,on and about 10 enter q train for a
trim to New York and New England
when he was shot by GUITEAU. Hs
was not inviting the assault In a great
concour~e Of people to whom he had
offered ungiarded courtesy. as the
President did at the Buffalo Fair. I'm
doubtedly. II the station had been kept
clear Of people until President GARFIELr
had passed through, the danger Of assas-
sination nigh, have been minimizet
for the moment. but Il would have
remained. The ASSASSIN could have
found another opportunity. and w
have seen that the most closely guardec
sovcreigns can never be kept safe from
Anarchistic vengeance
II the Anarchist who shot Mr. McKiS
LEY was determined to commit tn,
crime doubtless he could have founc
another opportunity than that afforded
by the Presidents visit Ia the fair: hui
the wav was made easy for him. for an,
miscreant, however feeble Of wit. by IN,
unrest rained access allowed and b,
our old democratic custom Of expecting
the President 10 shake the hand o
every one approaching him. no matter
how great or what the composition o
the crowd During his JOURNEYS through
the Union this wear Mr. MCKINLEY Ia.
thus been brought into actual physica
contact with many thousands Of people
In many places 80 eager was the deSir'
TO get closc to him and to shake his hsnc
TINT of,entimr- he was josilcd abou'
by tho crowds and roughly trcatec
In the press. as II hc was u harlequin or
free show II is true that tho peopl'
were full Of respect for him and his Office
but they felt that h. belongcl to then
and they had right 10 force upon him
their uncomfortable attentions II Wa
the American way. and when this wa'
a simple coinmunry u was a gcoc
enough way. d-u'ocrai,c. expressive oi
the pot.uiar equality under our I-oliisca
sy-iasa. genuine and hearty
Now. bowcv-r, ~c have had an awful
warning s,sst there has entered into out