The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-09
THE SUPPRESSION OF ANARCHIsM.

THE SUPPRESSION OF ANARCHISM.
The attempted assassination Of President
Mckinley and the fact that the would-be
assassin is an avowed Anarchist makes il
necessary to inquire what can and ought
10 be done to suppress anarchism in the
United States. Czolgocz admits that he is
Anarchist and says his mind was fired
70 kill the President by the teachings of the
noted woman Anarchist, Emma Goldman.
Nobody knows how many Anarchists there
are in the country. but the police of differ
ent cities know Of several groups or coteries
OF them. 1t is probable that many persons
who call themselves Socialists are really
Anarchists. though many Socialists are
very far from harboring murderous designs.
That there is a considerable number OF
Anarchist sympathizers throughout the
country is shown by the individual express
sions in different localities. which, in every
case, have brought swift punishment from
bystanders. But the seed has been sown
and there is danger that the plant will grow
and spread. The open-door policy which
the United States has pursued toward for
eign immigrants and the leniency with
which political refugees and criminals have
been treated have made this country
paradise for political plotters and dissent
majors Of anarchistic views. The lack Of
legislation on the subject and the difficulty
of dealing arbitrarily with offenders OF this
class without trenching on the freedom of
speech and liberty Of the press have added
TO their immunity. Only a few years ago
Governor Altgeld, of Illinois, pardoned
several notorious Anarchists from State
prison sentence, thus virtually notifying
others that they were in little danger of
something must be done either to rid the
country of these vermin entirely or at least
to put a stop to the dissemination of their
views.
Perhaps the first question that will be
raised by narrow constructionists of the
Constitution will be as to the right of Con-
gress or the States to legislate against the
holding or disseminating of abstract views.
On this point there can be no doubt. Self
defense and self-preservation are among
the inherent rights of every government.
They are an attribute of sovereignty above
even the Constitution. Society has the
same right to protect itself against it's
enemies that an individual has to destroy a
poisonous reptile. Anarchists aim at the
destruction of all rulers and the overthrow
OF all governments. This is universal trea-
son and may be treated IS such by all gov
ernments without reference to their form
or constitutional grant of power. 1t is
crime punishable under the higher law. If
levying open war against the government is
treason the plotting Of its overthrow by
assassination is the most odious form of
treason and one against which governments
have a right to adopt the most severe and
punitive measures.
What ought to be done is not as clear
as the right of government to do whatever
is necessary to suppress anarchism. They
cannot well be deported because no other
country wouldNpermit them to enter. Among
the thousand islands of the Philippines
there may be one barren and inhospitable
enough to become a prison home for them
and public opinion would probably approve
of sending them there, but If that is i'm
practicable they should at least be brought
under police supervision and punished as
conspirators Illinois has q fairly good law
on the subject and every State should have
one equally as stringent or more so. The
Illinois law was the outgrowth of the Chi
cago Anarchist riots and provides as fol-
| lows
a
public or private assemblage of people or
In any public place, or shall by writing
written, printed, published or circulated
any written or printed matter, advise, en-
courage. aid, abet or incite a local revolu-
ton, or the oyerthrowing or destruction OF
| the existing order of society by force or
| violence, or the resistance to and destruc-
ton OF the lawful power and authority Of
the legal authorities of this State, or Of any
| of the towns, cities or counties of this
State, by any of the means aforesaid
shall advise, abet, encourage or fncite the
disturbance of the public peace and by
such disturbance an attempt at revolution
or destruction of public order resistance
to such authorities shall therefore ensue
and human life is taken or any person is
| injured. or property DESTROYED, every per-
son so aiding, etc, shall be deemed as
having conspired with the person or per-
sons who actually commit the crime and
shall be deemed a principal in the perpetra-
ton Of the same, and shall be punished ac-
cordingly and ii shall not be necessary for
was heard or the written or printed matter
was read or communicated TO the person or
persons actually committing the crime, if
such speaking, writing printing or publish
ing is shown 10 have been done in public
manner.
Another section provides that If two or
more persons conspire to overthrow the
existing order of society by force and vio-
lence. and any person is killed in pursuance
1 A..
deemed guilty OF the crime, "notwithstand-
! ing the time and place for the bringing
about such revolution had not been definite
| ly agreed upon by such conspirators, but
was left to the exigencies of the time or the
| judgment of co-conspirators or some one
| or more of them" With such a law as that
| in every State, fortified by an act of Con-
] gress providing a special penalty for the
| assassination or attempted assassination of
| the President anarchism could be pretty
| eTectually stamped out Another year
| should not be permitted to pass without
national and State legislation on the SUBJ
/ jet.
Not long ago Secretary Long, in an ad-
dress in Massachusetts. asserted that Pres
! ident Mckinley as statesman and execu-
\ tive IS the peer of any man who has held