Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-05
The Field of Literature.

| Gen. Lew Wallace diScuSseSS in the
! December number of the North Am
erican Review the ability of congress
To take effective measures for the
I"PreventiOn Of Presidential Assassi-
nations" Gen. Wallace does not
think that congress can do much re-
that end under the constitution AZ it
stands. IL can make an annual APP
preparation of money To enable the
president To maintain Il secret ser
vice To look after his safety. 1t can
reform the regulations governing the
administration of emigrants into the
United States. But the most impor-
tant step congress could take would
be To set i'm motion an amendment of
the constitutional definition of trea-
son against the United States. Mill
ism and Anarchy were unknown to
the trainers of the constitution. and
it might he advisable. therefore. TO
expand the constitutional definition
of treason 80 that it may include
the special conspiracies and crimes
for which these modern enemies of
law and order are responsible. Gen
Wallace offers Il suggestion as to the
form which such an amendment
might take:
Treason against the United States
shall consist:
Il. In levying war against them. or
in adhering To their enemies. giving
them aid and comfort.
=. In feIoniouSly taking or at
tempting To take the life of the presi-
dent of the United States. or of the
acting president.
-. Agitation. conspiracy. or or
ganization To subVert the govern
ment of the United States. or to hin
der or obstruct it's operation shall be
reasonable: and for the suppression
of such acts the congress shall have
power To do whatever il NAV Judge
requisite.
In the first and third cases con
greSs may declare the punishment;
in the second case the punishment
shall be death.
I'm the first case. no person shall
be convicted of treason unless upon
the testimony of two witnesses To the
same overt act. or ON confession in
open court.
No attainder Of treason shall work
corruption of blood or forfeiture eX-
ttpI uuTthR tHt IRE Oh lht ptTSph at
tainted.
Owen Mister and Frederick Rem
ington contribute to the December
number of Outing an article and
color reproduction of a striking pas
tel illustrating an interesting char
acter in American life-the wilder
ness hunter. In both story and IL
lustration there is given Il faithful
picture of type which * becoming
extinct "a civilization creePs in and
covers the remoter sections of the
country. The old instincts of the
wilderness hunter. however. are no.
ticeable in the newer generation. and
Mr. Wister says:
The sons of the wilderness hun.
tiers are not men who swallow civil
cation whole; they live rebels
against it. They proceed upon the
even tenor of their ways like the
sons of other men. But the voice of
the western. mountains will call
them secretly and make them rest
less sometimes. even though they
may not fully comprehend its mean
ing. In all adventures they will ac-
lively rejoice: they will engineer fast
express trains. they will climb into
burning houses. they will joyfully
enlist i'm times of war. and when |
none of these chances Tor their en-
ergy befall them. you will. if you
can read their hearts. discern be-
meath their civilized demeanor their |
eternal protest against the life in |
which common sense bids them to /
acquiesce."