Hutchinson gazette., 1901-09-12
THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION

JuuBmHnb hnu Wlsuon PloNah'
THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION
Not since the assassin's bullet found
deadly mark twenty years ago In the
body of President Garfield has the ma
tion been 80 profoundly shaken with
sorrow, until the announcement OF the
presidents shooting last Friday, 9th
er great men whose services to the
country we're invaluable have passed
TO that other country Of which we
know 80 little, but their passage was In
the peace and happiness of their fami-
lies in the natural course Of nature.
The nation Rrieyed, but 1t was not
shocked In his policies and In many
OF his methods Of administration we
have not agreed with President Nc
Kinley, but In his personal character
be has been held In much higher esteem
than the average of public men. He
has not been a reformer, but he has
been q gentleman, and though he may
die from an assassin's bullet II was
never his intention to be q martyr.
There was In him none of that stun Of
which martyrs are made. Less OF this
was there In him than In the unfortu-
nate man who shot him. IL is custom
ary to speak of the act Of shooting the
president as cowsrdly. And 80 1t is In
one 5ense. 1t is always cowardly to
shoot any man, president or peasant,
unarmed and with no show for defense.
But In another sense 1t Is not cowardly.
The man who did 1t knew II he had
intelligence enongh to know anything
and plan such deed, that 1t meant
certain punishment to him. To do such
au act under such circumstances is not
cowardice, 1t IS either fanattcism or its
twin brother, lunacy. The whole body
of these anarchists are either fanatics
or lunatics. There Is so little sense in
their belief that they can kill gov
ernment by killings man, and their
apparent indifference to punishment,
warrants this statement, There ap-
pears to be certain philosophers which
take so strong hold, and prey upon the
minds of their votaries to such an ex-
tent that they Danish oil else from
their minds, and become incapable OF
forming a sober unbiased Judgment.
OF these the anarchists are the worst.
The others are most of them compara-
lively harmless Bat the anarchist 10
full Of murder. 1t 10 as unfortunate
for him ss for any one else, For every
time lie commits one of his crimes, the
public, Mortified, retreats toward his
enemies. II is his surest and quickest
method of exterminating himself. In
some small parts Of his philosophy he
Is right, He seems to be able to ana
ly2e society and perceive that injustice
pervsdes It, But he is wrong In the
first place In supposing that 1t can be
cured by more injustice In the form of
violence. lie is wrong again in sup
posing that 1t Is possible for the world
in the present state Of development
can get along without law and govern.
ment. Take for example the numer-
Gus instances Of the gold fields, such as
those Of California, where men Of all
classes, an average Of society, came to
gether without law. Crimes commit.
ted under such conditions were not
done under restraint Of law, and could
not in any possible way be the results
Of the law. In every instance law OF
some sort, mob law II no other, has
been necessary to put down crime.
Most people will probably say that
this is diguifying the subject by too
Inuch discussion. However, we do not
think so. ANY philosophy, however
visionary or vicious is worthy of can.
did discussion. 1t Is the only way by
which the truth may be discovered.
Recurring to the president, we
should say that eve"y one outside the
society of anarchists regrets it, and no
one more than his political opponents.
No sane and honorable man but who
hates such dastardly deeds and meth
ods, no matter how sincere the assas.
elm may have been in the belief that he
was doing a public duty. Throwing
babies to the crockodiles will never be
popular in country of intelligent peo-
Pile, simply because the ignorant super
stitious mother believed 1t religious
duty. All these things are the results of
ignorance, often coupled with bigotry
and insanity But as long as human
! minds are made 80 frail they will exist.