Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-10-08
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION.

tue punishment OF moss VINO
teach or attempt to practice its
Obstructive theories.
Public sentiment throughout
the whole country demands this
and is so earnest in the matter
that the senator or congressman
who Opposes such legislation will
commit political suicide. 1t Is
not probable that any member
will oppose sueh legislation, but
quite probable there will be al
great diversity OF oyinion as to
what measures are adeql-te and
expedie.st.
Man. lnen seem 10 fear That no
adequate remedy can be applied
unless the constitution be first
ameaded with this purpose in
view. If it were necessary to de-
clare destructive anarchy treason
before we may reach and punish
it, the constitution, Of course,
would require amendment. While
anarchy is treason i'll that it aims
to overthrow aud distroy the gov.
ernment, yet it is not treason as
specified and intended by the
constitution. Many very able
men hold that anarchists are
public enemies who are engaged
in making war and in melting
others to make war upon all gov
ernment and, therefore, their acts
are acts Of war and should be rec
ognized aud punished as s1,ch.
This view is the foundation upon
which the laws in repression Of
anarchy and nihilism rest in
most countries. In other coun-
tries making war OF melting to
war is declared to be treason and
punished as such. Since we
cannot do this we may regard
these acts as acts of war.
That we have not done so is
not because congress cannot dc
So but because, until recently,
there was no acknowledged ne.
cessity therefor. Anarchy is E
crime heretofore unknown in ou1
jurisprudence. It now become!
the duty of congress to define i
and to fix the penalties that shal
attach to it. It is quite probable
congress will declare anarchist
to be public enemies aud thei
acts those of war. All else-nec
essary is then within easy reach
There would not then be tn
most remote fear of any restric.
tion Of liberty of the press, an,
freedom Of speech, nor denial t.
citizens the right of trial by jury
Anarchists by ceasing to be sncl
would retain all the rights ant
privileges of citizenship, ant
since "right wrongs nobody
nobody would be wronged.
But congress should do more
1t should create a special cour
having sole jurisdiction over thi
class of crimes and prescribt
rules Of practice to govern it
PROCEEDINGS. The right of con
gress to do this is unquestioned
Congress certainly has all nee
essary constitutional power to en-
act laws fully adequate to repres
and to punish such crimes as an
archists contemplate. That thes'
crimes are directed against th'
state-the govefnment-rathe
than against persons renders i
more difficult, perhaps, to defn'
and to punish them, but this i
more a difficulty of sentimen
than of fact. All crime is effenss
against the state and is prosecu-
ted and punished in the name o
the state.
That our immigration law.
should be more stringent ha'
been apparent to every one 70:
the last twenty years, OF more
That they might be made to ex
clude anarchists is scarcely pos
sible. We will net close ou1
gates to all immigration, an6
nothing short of this would ex
clude anarchists.
We must enact such laws anc
build up such right public senti
ment as shall carry quick appre
hension, certain conviction and
relentless punishment to every
one whether foreign Or native
born who promulgates or prac-
tices the tenents of Obstructive
anarchy. We can do this, we
must do it. Will we do so now,
or shall we wait until another
president is sacrificed?
In many localities in several
states fraternal and patriotic Or
ders, trade organizations and the
people generally are urging ac-
ton upon congressional delega-