The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-09-20
The Atrocious Crime of CzoIsosz.

The crime of murder is always hor-
rible, but is it not most shocking when
perpetrated deliberately, and without
the incentive of passion?
Three lessons are forced upon us by
the crime which startled the whole
civilized world the other day and
caused universal feeling of horror and
Indignation.
First: The crime of Czolgosz teaches
US that to think an act right does not
make it right. The self-iustifying ordi-
nance so many persons have enacted
for their own benefit to the effect that
all that can be expected of them is to
do what they think right, or to do as
their consciences require, appears in
its true light in the presence of this
crime. For this murderer must have
| thought he was doing meritorious act.
He could not have hoped to gain any
thing by it except the reward of a good
conscience, and he must have known
that he could not escape severe punish
ment. From his own point of view,
| therefore, his action must have appear
ed not only meritorious but heroic.
Desire for notoriety is always strong
incitement to such crimes in the minds
of those who perpetrate them; but no
one desires notoriety that means only
disgrace. 1t is only the fact that in his
eyes the act itself was not disgraceful,
but meritorious, that could make the
notoriety gained by it pleasing to him.
The crime of Czolgosz proves, there
fore, that it is possible for man to de-
ceive himself utterly on the subject of
what is right and what is wrong, and
to misteach his own conscience so that
it will lead him to do wrong, instead of
warning him against wrong This is an
awful truth; let it sink deep into the
heart of every one who has ever allow
ed himself to imagine that he is COM
lpetent to be law unto himself without
needing to seek the guidance of the law
of God.
Second: This crime forces upon our
attention the fact that things are tend
ing toward a crisis in this country-a
crisis which will inevitably become in
time very acute if it is not solved by
wise legislation while there is oppor-
tunity for the peaceable adjustment of
the rights of the individual in contra
distinction to the rights of organiza-
tions.
On the one hand we have the capit-
alistic Trusts and on the other the
Labor Union Trusts, each seeking to
control, as far as they can hope to do
Iso, all opportunities for industry, so
that no man shall be permitted to earn
his living unless under their dictation.
Each of these forces is at war with the
rights and liberties of the American
people, and whether they shall con-
tinue to oppose each other or end by
combining to aid each other, there
must come time when it will be found
necessary to restrain their activity
within proper bounds. Czolgosz is be-
lieved to have been actuated largely
by sentiment of hostility to the Pres
ident as the supposed tool of the cap
italistic Trusts. Whether that is the
fact or not, there is abundant evidence
that in some quarters the sentiment OF
hostility to these organizations is al
ready very strong. 1t will show itself
more and more as the Trusts become
more and more powerful and aggres-
sive.
i If this crime shall open the eyes OF
the people generally to the seriousness
, of the crisis toward which we are trav-
cling and incite them to such action as
will block the way of the schemers of
both classes who seek to control indus
try for the qualification of their own
inordinate ambition; if that result is
attained, the President will not have
suffered in vain.
The third lesson from this crime is
that this nation msst find some means
of protecting itself against anarchism,
without waiting for the commission of
crime before dealing with those who
are known to believe in and advocate
crime. Freedom of speech is a good
} thing s'if man use it lawfully" but no
/ man should be allowed to give public
, utterance to ideas which are calculated
to incite other men to ocrime.-The New
i York Witness.