The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-21
A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

DIFFICULT PROBLEM.
The question of the hour appears to
be, How can anarchistic teachings be
country are saying that Anarchy must
| be stamped out" and legislatures,
municipal bodies and political conven-
lions are passing resolutions against
anarchists and their teachings. On last
Tuesday the Virginia Constitutional
Convention struck out of the states
bill of rights the words freedom of
speech" 1t seems. therefore, that
while the liberty of the press is still
guaranteed in that state, it is proposed
to withdraw the guarantee of the free
dom of speech. In the addresses that
were made on the motion to change the
bill of rights it was held that the line
between freedom of speech and license
of speech ought to be clearly drawn,
and the opinion was expressed that
the death of the late President was,
to a great extent, attributable to the
too great freedom of speech that is
permitted.
Just now there is a pretty general
feeling that limit should be placed
upon freedom in speeches and in news
paper publications. Under the latter
head are placed cartoons. There is no
doubt that some of the cartoons on
the late President and upon Mr.. Roose-
welt in recent publications were out-'
rageous, but the cartoonists were not
so much to blame for them as the
newspapers which published them.
But how are those who counsel dis
order. lawlessness and murder in their
speeches, as the anarchists do, or news
papers which endeavor to blacken the
characters of public men they know to
be honest and capable to be prevented
from carrying on their evil work? That
is, of course, a very difficult question.
Virginia purposes to protect her citi-
zens by refusing to guarantee the free
dom of speech. 1t may be that other
states will follow her example, but the
danger is in going too far. 1t is i'm
possible to draw the line with abso
lutte justice between what ought to be
said or printed and what ought not.
There are good and bad men in pub
lie life, and if a check were placed
upon the press and speeches, bad men
would feel much freer to carry out
their wicked schemes If it had not
been for the newspapers Tweed would
not have been driven from power in
New York city as soon as he was. In
fact. his evil work might never have
come to the knowledge of the public
generally.
1t might be the wiser plan after all
to leave the punishment of publica-
items which transcend the bounds of
decency to the public. Newspapers that
purposely seek to mislead the people,
respecting public man and public ques-
tons, may prosper for awhile, but they
must eventually come to grief. Decent
men will not patronize them, and those
who are not decent become ashamed
to be seen reading them.
OF course, anarchists must be dealt
with differently. They are not amena-
BILE to public opinion They are apart
from the public, and, hence, can be
reached only by drastic measures.
law denying anarchists admission to
the country would not check anarch-
ism. There are plenty of anarchists
here, and they are doing all they can
to spread their opinions. How to get
rid of them or how to prevent the
spread of their doctrines are problems
which the wisest have not succeeded in
solving. The American people, how
ever, are now insisting upon a solu-
ton, and If they remain in their pres
ent frame of mind they will make a
great effort to solve them before many
months pass.