The National tribune., 1901-10-03
SOMETHING as TO ANARCHISTS.

There are probably not over a few thou
sands-possibly not more than a few hun
dreds-of real active Anarchists in the
whole country. These make up by great
activity and noise what they lack in num-
bers. They are men with diseased brains
and an insane desire for prominence and
notOriety.
They cause these terrible crimes to be
committed merely to advertise themselves,
and give themselves importance among
the poor deuded fools to whom they
preach. They will feed and swell for
years on this murder of the President,
just as they did on the bomb-throwing in
the Haymarket. 1t is something for
them to allude TO darkly and knowingly
as to their own knowledge of and connec-
ton with. and to hints as to other
events" that are being planned to startle
the world. This will impress greatly that
ignorant. foolish class which has Il great
lCve for dark mysteries, and to think and
talk of terrible crimes. SO these COM
monplace, ordinary fellows become men of
great Importance 10 their little circles. As
the public interest in them dies down
they work upon some crack-braincd fool
like Czolgosz, to sacrifice himself. and be-
come hero" and martyr" to give them
another boost into prominence.
Nothing that can be done to the degen-
crate perpetrator of the deed will reach
the seat of the evil and prevent Il repeti-
ton of the foul crime. The remedy must
+ba L. hp NAV
his sickly brain until he is wrought up
to commit the crime. AS Lincoln said in
the Nallandigham case:
''Shall | shoot the poor boy who de-
serts, and yet not harm n hair on the
head of the willy demagog who persuades
him to the act?'
Shall Czolgosz. who has hardly brains
enough to earn his living rs a day Ia
borer, be electrocuted, and Johann Most,
Emma Goldman, ct al, go free, to pose
and strut and magnify themselves upon
his deed? If so, it will be monstrous
travesty on justice.
No surer provocation for another SINH
lar crime can be imagined than this would
be. These teachers of Anarchy have been
lifted into worldwide prominence by this
deed They have been given notoriety
that fills their hearts with pride and joy,
and which will stimulate others furnishing
for nOtOriety to emulate them.
Finding that they can ply their ne
farious vocation without the slightest
danger to themselves, they will at once
proceed to hatch another crime, and ex-
ecute it as soon as they can find proper |
tool.
If the executives of our laws can find |
no authority in the statutes for the proper |
punishment of these instigatOrs and ac-
complies in the murder of the President |
then 10 time should be lost in repairing |
that grave defect.
No matter what may be said about free |
speech and free press, no one ever con-
templated that that freedom should be |
used to destroy the very institutions |
which give freedom That is an obvious
conclusion. We can reach and punish the
man who sends out another to kill, rob or
burn. Why cannot we reach them who |
send out man who strikes down the |
very head of the Nation, and tries to de-
stroy our Government at one blow?
The development of strong patriotic /
spirit everywhere is a sure remedy, as it |
has been in other danger periods in our
history. The people everywhere must
take this matter into their own hands.
as they have other great National ques-
tons. They must not allow Anarchy to
be taught among them, any more than
they now allow arson, robbery and similar
crimes. Men who attempt it should be
made to feel the weight of intense public
if nothing worse. In this
way the foul disease may be stamped out.