BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-17
Suppression OI AnatchiSn.

The flood of bills in both houses OF Con.
gress tor the suppression OF anarchsm anu
fha more adeuua punishment OF persons
qcho asssssinate President, or attempt 10
a,,assinate him, or conspire to that enh, Is
the natural outcome of McKinley's death.
The whole county is aroused to the need OF
addit nal legislation in protection OF the
lives not only of cur Presidents but OF
ALI other high officials Uf the government.
II is aroused in equal measure to the neces
sity oflegislation guarding us against the I'm.
migraUivH ~s ~sarehjSts to this country and
their continued residence he.n- after their |
CD haracter and teachings have been discover
ed. Tae dozen or more measures already
before Congress, covering both these aspects
of the case are in response to this popular
believing that they will result in adequate
legislation before the session ends.
The measures proposed vary much In
scope, bu. their object is the same, and
there is no reasonable obstacle in the way OF
agreement upon one or two comprehensive
measures. There is doubt it some quar-
ters as to the power of Congress to prescribe
| penalties for murderous assaults upon the
| President and other government officials
| ,oithout an amendment to the constitution.
Several bills providing for such amendment
hava been presented. Senator Hoar is
clearly of the opinion that Congress already
possesses this power, for he has introduced
bill which provides that any person within
the limits or jurisdiction of the United
States who kills or attempts to kill the Pre-.
dent of the United STATES or any officer
thereof, or the ruler or chef magistrate Of
any foreign country, shall be punished with
death, and that any person who advises such
Killing or conspires to accomplish it shall be
imprisoned for not more than twenty years.
Senator McComas agrees with Senator
Hoar in believing that Congress has the
poWer to legislate, and has presented a j1int
resolution calling upon it 10 do SO on lines
similar TO thoss OF Senator HoaI's bill Civ
ing fedora courts jurisdiction in all cases.
His resolution calls also for legislation pro.
viding for the exclusion and deportation of
anarchists, and for cooperation with the
President in procuring an amendment to all
extradtion treaties similar to the conven.
ton with Belgium for the exclusion of Grim.
inal anarchists. Senator Burrows has
introduced a measure providing for the
exclusion and deportation of alien anarchists
through amendments TO the immigration
laws.
In company with these measures Senator
Vest has introduced resolution lnstructing
the Judiciary committee to inquire and
report as to the constitutional power of
) congress to lsgislate in the directions which
the measures mentioned above propose, and
also as to its power ''to establish a penal
colony on some suitable island under the
Jurisdiction of the United States to which
anarchists shall be deported, and where they
shall be confined during life without any
communication with the outside world,
except such as may be allowed by the proper
Officers.D
These measures, together with the halt
dozen or mole of similar character in the
House, cover the field of desirable legislation
adequately. As leading representatives OF
both parties present them, it is quite plain
that there will he no division on party lines
in regard to final action on the question.
The first point to be decided is the power
Of congress to legislate, aud this is an
Extremely interesting one. A valuable and
convincing contribution to the discussion
of it Is made in the current number OF the
s'North American Review by Judge Edgar