Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-24
THE QUESTION OF ANARCHY IN
CONGRESS,

1t is evident from the large number
of bills already introduced in congress
for the protection of the life of the
President, and the suppression of an
archy. that the representatives of the
people are in accord and that some eff
Senator Hoar's bill makes an attempt
to kill the President of the United
States a capital offense, and to advise
or counsel such an act is to be pun
lshed with twenty years imprison-
ment. Death is to be the punishment
for the one who shall wilfully kill, or
cause to be killed, within the jurisdic-
ton of the United States, ruler, or
chief magistrate of any other country.
The latter provision seems to be SUI
perf1uOus, inasmuch as the laws of the
states already provide for the punish
ment of any person who shall kill any
person, king, or peasant from any for
elgn country, if such crime be COM
mitted within our borders.
given to the suppression of anarchy,
to prevent the entrance of anarchists
within the limits of the United States,
and to provide for the punishment of
those who may be here now. During
a prior session of congress there was
a bill introduced at the instance of the
immigration Restriction League, which
is to come up for consideration. 1t
proposes a literary test for immi-
grants. 1t adds to the excluded class
es all alien immigrants, fifteen years
and over, who cannot read the English
language or some other language.
1t Is thought that this test would
not keep out many of the more desir-.
able immigrants such as come from
Great Britain, Ireland, Germany and
the Scandinavian countries but would
reduce the hordes that flock here from
southern Europe, Poland, and the Ash
attic countries. 1t would not, however.
entirely exclude the Chinese, a large
per cent of whom can read in their
own language.
The literary test would not be suffi-
Client; the anarchists that should by
all means be excluded, are those who
have been partially educated and set
themselves up as agitators.
/ There is still room in America, for
the better classes of Europe, who in
stead of being hurtful to the country
would greatly aid in it's DEVELOPMENT,
but there should be some kind of mea-
sure to restrict the swarms
of the ignorant and the vicious who
come here to enter the labor market
and become competitors with native
born citizens in the struggle for ex-
istence. Moreover, it is among such
as these that anarchy is nurtured.
! Anarchy should be defined as a crime
and drastic measures should be enact
ed to drive it out of the country. 1t
lis a vicious cult that strikes at the
very existence of the government: it's
object is to destroy public officers and
especially chief magistrates, and men,
bership in an anarchistic society
should be made criminal offense pun
ishable with Imprisonment or deporta-
ton. 1t would be prima facia evi-
dence of membership in conspiracy
to over turn the government, if one
were to openly advocate the assassin
alton of the President or to write, or
print, or speak in favor of such doc
trines. The government has an I'M
questionable right to protect itself
from disruption; in the war for the
Union hundreds of thousands of lives
We're sacrificed to maintain and uphold
the integrity of the country, and the
right to do that, is not questioned, and
now if it be found necessary to adopt
measures to prevent the growth of so.
cieties that are pledged to destroy the
same government, who shall say that
the people have not the power under
the constitution as it is, to exercise
that power?
In the exercise of this right of self
preservation the government would
not depart from the constitution, which
of itself is a document framed for the
express purpose of forming a more
perfect union nor would there be any
unWarrantable interference with lib
erty of speech and of the press. If
any person should undertake to open
| ly advocate plan to murder the city
officials of Ottumwa or the officers of
the county, or to organize a propagan-
da with such policy to control it,
public sentiment would soon find
way to preserve the lives of such Off
Gals. Anarchists aim higher than
city or county officials; they strike az
chief magistrates of the Union and
hope thereby to destroy that Union
which was based upon the constitu-
ton. The conclusion is, that no
amendments of that constitution are
necessary in order to secure warrant
for measures that will preserve the