The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-20
TO PROTECT
THE PRESIDENT
Senate Spends the Day Discuss,
ing the Bill.
DEATH FOR ATTEMPT TO KILL
GOVERNMENT TO HAVE JURIS-
DICTIoN OF SUCH CASES.
yTrAsHINGToN, March 19.-Duriug

TT ASHINGTON, March 19.-Duriug
! w the entire session of the senate
today the bill providing for the
protection Of the president of the
United States was under consideration.
Mr.. Spooner of Wisconsin contended
, that the government had an absolute
and inherent right to protect itself
! against assaults made either upon it.
self or upon any Of its officers. He
maintained that an assault upon the
| president was in the very nature of
I things an assault on the nation, for
| there never was a time when the pres
ident was not in the discharge of the
largely legal and constitutional and
throughout was forceful and entertain
| ing and instructive.
Mr. Hoar, in charge Of the measure,
elucidated some arguments he had
made previously, and Mr.. Teller of Col
orado and Mr.. Bailey of Texas spoke
| briefly upon the bill. The Texas sena-
tor said ne could not support the meas
ure as it stands, because he could con-
ceive of an assault made upon the
president as a person and not as an
official of the government. The assail-
ant in that event ought TO be punished
precisely as if he had assaulted any
other citizen.
Mr.. Culberson offered a substitute
for the pending measure. It makes the
| assassination or attempted assassina-
ton of the president, vice president or
the sovereign of a foreign country
within the jurisdiction of the United
States punishable by death. Those who
shall counsel or advise the killing of
the president, or who shall conspire to
kill him or the sovereign of any foreign
country, shall be punished by impris-
onment not exceeding twenty years.
Mr.. Teller of Colorado said that while
he had no objection to legislation of
the kind, he did not recognize there
was any crying need for it. However,
public sentiment seemed to demand it
and he wanted as nearly a perfect bill
as possible. No legislation would pro-
tect absolutely the president, because
If any man of determined spirit made
up his mind to kill the president he
would accomplish his purpose
Mr.. Bailey of Texas maintained that
the government had ample authority
to protect its officials in the perform
ance of their duties, but said he doubt
ed its authority to punish man who
should assault or kin any government
official merely as person.
The demand of the people was that
the government should lay as heavy a
hand as possible on anarchists. He
was in accord with the sentiment that
would hound the pest from one section
to another until he had no resting
place, but he warned the senators not
TO make anarchists Of themselves in
the effort to protect the president
against anarchy. A properly drawn bill
to meet the demand of the American
people would command the unanimous
- zAaRate. Directly in line
ssssIon contained in Mr.
bs1iey's remarks. Mr.. Bacon Of Geor-
gia introduced a bill for the deportation
and exclusion of alien anarchists. 1t
was the bill he said, which, introduced
by former Senator Hill Of New York.
had been passed by the senate, but had
failed in the house. He offered it as