Evening star., 1901-09-14
THE CRIME AT BUFFALO
QUESTIONS RAISED By THE ASSAULT
ON THE PRESIDENT.
VIII Congress Act9

VIII Congress ActY
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Next to anxiety for the recovery of the
President the subject that most stirs the
public mind is whether Congress will take
any action to lessen the dangers from and
the murderous outrages of anarchists. Not
only are the papers filled with expressions
on this subject, but here at the resorts
where people are gathered from all parts
of the country the principal topic OF con-
versation is. What will Congress do-wiil IL
do anything to relieve the country from
this ever-presen. danger?
II we are to judge from the action OF
Congress n the past, there is little ground
for hope that 1t will do anything. for when
the present Governor Stone of Pennsylva-
MIA. then member Of the House. intro
duced a bill providing special punishment
for an attempt upon tho life OF the Pres-
ident, Vice President. members of the cab
met or Of the Supreme Court, 1T WAS
cause Of the opposition Of the anarchist
papersy' So, too, when In 1894 as recol-
lect 1t, Senator d. b. Hill introduced bill.
which passed the Senate. TO prohibit the
entrance Of anarchists and expel those al
ready here. and which was favorably re-
ported from the judiciary committee OF the
House, and an effort made to put 1t on us
passage, objection was each time raised oy
therefore failed to pass, although 1t was
understood that 1t would have passed If
vote could have been had.
What the reason for objecting to it's pass
age was, I am not able to state, but It
must have been one of two things, either
that the objecting members had some pet
measure that they desired passed instead.
or desired to secure the votes of the an
archistic class In their districts. just as
the mayor of McKeespOrt is now playing
into the hands of the strikers to secure
their votes. 1t is a most painful mortif1ca-
ton to every honest, law-abiding American
citizen to suppose for an instant that such
motives could influence a representative,
but there is no other explanation. There Is
never session of Congress in which there
Is not some similar exhibition of demogogu-
ism thus tending to confirm the statement
of an observing citizen. that unfortunate
ly we are governed by demagogues and not
by statesmen.
1t is difficult to conceive how any man
who cares anything for the maintenance
of the government can favor or consent
to the presence in the country Of the an
archsts, class Of human fiends whose
avowed doctrine is opposition to all forms
of civilized government, and who de-
liberately plan and execute the assa ssina-
tion of rulers at home and abroad. 1t is a
never-ending source of wonder that they
should be permitted to hold meetings to
discuss and arrange their plans for assassf-
nation, as was done, and still is at Pater-
son, N. j., and elsewhere, and that that
she-devil, Emma Goldman, should be per-
mitted to travel around the country and
publicly preach assassination of all rulers
We see the result in this very case, when
the assassin openly and repeatedly declares
that 1t was her teaching that led him to
perpetrate his dastardly act. Why Is not
she and all of her class suppressed? is what
the people are asking.
Everybody seems to think there can be no
doubt that vigorous action will be taken
when Congress meets, but 1 confess that
II hoxy hut ln h0y,A
session now doubt something would be
done, but Congress will not meet for three
months yet, and in the meantime-especiaI-
ly If the President recovers, as all honest
men sincerely hope-the present excitement
will have died out, and though no doubt
numerous bills will be introduced, 1t Is not
at all certain that any of them will be
passed. 1t is SO easy under the rules of the
jecting and otherwise; and there are so
many smart Alecks" who desire to debate
them, even though they may not really de.
sire to defeat them, and by delay prevent
action. And then, too, there are the
sticklers for states rights. who may insist
that the power to regulate this matter is in
the states, and not in Congress
An attack on the government or its off,
Gals Is an attack on the nation, and not on
state, and it is the nation that should act.
A nation or government that cannot or
will not defend its own existence is not
worth preserving. II under the Constitu-
this case then the Constitution should be
amended at once. But it has the power for
the Supreme Court in the Chinese case held
that Congress had the power to keep them
or any people whose presence was consfd-
cred injurious out Of the country.
Congress has exercised the right time
and again In the passage Of acts regulating
the admission of alien immigrants and IL
Congress can prohibit the entrance of an
alien simply because he has not the ready
means of self-support and can expel such
from the country. it certainly can exercise
the same power as to anarchists.
Time was when We boasted that this was
the land of the free and the oppressed OF
or rapidly passing, for we have admitted
not simply the oppressed but the thugs,
the murderers and thieves, and worst Of all
the anarchists-the dregs and offscourings
OF all Europe. Not only do we admit them
annually by the thousands and tens of
thousands, but what Is worse we endow
them with all the rights privileges and
political power possessed by the best and
ablest native-born citizen, and it Is that
power-the right to vote-that secures them
defenders and prevents action by Congress.
Eagles Mere, Pa. OBSERVER.
CzOlgOsx Not Alone Guilty.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
In repetition are impressions established
So the many repeated expressions of sentf-
ment and opinions for some days being
published throughout the country regarding
the attempted assassination of the Presi-
dent are fixing attention upon a social dan
ger In manner liable to bear fruit II