The St. Mary banner., 1901-10-12
ON ANARCHY.

We clip tho following article from
recent issue of the Kansas City
Times, written by that veteran
democrat of Kansas, Hon. David
Overmeyer:
Il have long known that there
are people calling themselves anar-
chists who do not believe in murder
or violence. The time has come,
however, when these should change
their name. Anarchy was always a
bad name for people who want
peace and who yearn for a platonic
age. They adopted that name after
it had gained an evil significance.
If they look forward to Utopia or
to the millennium, they might call
themselves 'Utopians or 'Millennial-
is,s.' If they favor the idea of non
resistance to evil they might be
'Tolstoians.' The word anarchy
should be b!ottcd from the vocabul-
airy of civilization.
"But while there are avo@d
anarchists who do not practice de-
structive anarchy, there are also
people who do not avow themselves
anarchists who really are such.
Every officer who violates his oath
or who violates the constitution;
every officer or person who is willing
to resort to mob rule or to withhold
even from anarchists their lawful
right to fair trial under the law; all
of the countless persons and inslitu-
tions who evade and disregard the
law and cheat justice knowingly; all
who cover up Iawlessness by coerc-
ing dependent employees to commit
perjury in their interest; congresses
and legislatures who pass knowingly
unconstitutional stntutes and courts
that pervert justice; all these are
anarchists in fact.
"The disease of the age is lawless-
ness. If it would only cease in high
places it would lie comparatively
easy to stop it in low places.
81 believe that there should be an
act of Congress to protect the life
of the President and other high Off
cials in tie line Of succession to the
presidency and TO protect the nation
from the indiHnity and humiliation
attending the assassination or at
tempted assassination of its highest
officials
81 cannot agree with General
Grosvenor, that no legislation is
necessary. l do, however, agree
with him that these assaults upon
the President do not constitute treas
on under the constitution as it is.
And | further agree with him that
no constitutional amendment is
necessary. The power of congress
is in my judgment ample. 1t would
be strange indeed if this nation
should be found powcrless to pro-
tect its own head.
"This matter has, iu my judgment,
been settled by the Supreme Court
Of Nle United States. Some years
ago David Nagle, deputy marshal
of the United States, killed Judge
Terry in California in a defense of
the person of MIR. Justice Field of
the Supreme Court, upon whom
Terry was making murterous as-
sault. The California authorities
indicted NagIe ;er murder. Upon
habeas corpus proceedings the Su-
preme Court of the United etates
held that Nagle should he discharged:
that his act was justifiable. The
court there laid down the rule that
sthere is a peace Of the United
States,' and that in killing Terry,
Nagle was keeping the peace of tue
United States.
"Now, if a deputy United States
marshal is authorized without an act
of Congress to keep the peace Of the
United States by the protection of
the life of a high Official of the
United States, and if in keeping the
peace be is authorized to use such
force as is necessary, even to the
taking of life, why may not the
United States government itself,
acting through its congress, pass an
act for the projection of tie lives Of
its high officials and for the prs,
servation of the peace of the United
States? And why may not the
United States enforce such an act
through its own judicial tribunals?
'Such an act should not be lin
tied 10 actual assaults and murders,
but the law should reach all who
plot or conspire to assail or kill the
rri n pcinol 0ffiooro IF tho unvorrm mont ~