BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-06-21
SAN JUAN, JUNE d
Protection Of Presidents.

Both houses of congress have passed
so called anti-anarchist bills, providing
additional penalties for attempts upon
the lives of Our presidents and other
public officials, including foreign am
bassadors and ministers, This IS the
first time since the need of such leg1s-
lation began to be pressed upon con
gress after Gar6eld's assassination IN
1881 that such two-fold action has been
taken. If measure passed one house
it was killed in the other, as was the
case in 1894 when very good bill
which had passed the Senate was de-
feated in the House through the efforts
of Tohn De Witt Warner, then Demo.
cratic congressman.
The bill now passed by the House is
a substitute for that passed by the Sen
ate. and while it differs from the latter
in two important respects, in their gen.
era1 provisions the two measures are
virtually identical. There was no anti
anarchist provision in the Senate BIZ,
and there is one in the House bill
The Senate bill had provided for
body guard for the President, detailed
from the regular army by the secretary
of war; the House bill omits this provl-
sion. The main provisions OF the
House bill are: Any person who TN
lawfully, purposely, and knowingly kills
a president or vice president or any Of
ficers entitled by law to succeed to the
presidency, any foreign ambassador or
minister accredited to this country,
while engaged in the performance OF
his official duties or because OF mis- Of
fetal character, or because OF any OF
his acts or omissions" shall suffer death;
-----J sIISl0 oIICLoeS SnaII De 1mpr1-
soned not less than ten years; that any
one who, while engaged in an unlawful
attempt to infict grievous bodily harm
upon the President or any person en-
titled to succeed him, itlf1icts injuries
which cause death, shall be imprisoned
for life; if such injuries do not cause
death, such offender snail be imprison.
ed not less than five years; that any
person who aids, abats, or conspires
with another to commit any of the
above offenses shall be deemed prin-
clpal; that any person who knowingly
harbors, conceals, or aids with intent
that he may avoid arrest or punishment
any person who has committed one of
the above offenses, shall BE- imprisoned
from one to twenty-five years.
The provisions against melting as
saSslnation are particularly rigorous.
Any person who advocates the unlaw-
ful killing of an officer of the govern
ment, or of the government of any
civilized nation, because of his official
character, or who openly justifces such
killing with intent to secure the CON-
mission OF any of the above offenses,
shall be faed from $500 to $5,o and
imprisoned from one to twenty years;
and any perS n who conspires or ad-
vlses any person to assault or kill
within or without the United States
the chief magistrate of foreign coun-
try because of his official character
shall be punished as follows: If the at
tempt is made, and death results. such
offender shall suffer death; if such
attemp does not result in death the
punishment shall be a fine of $500 to
5000, anil imprisonment from FIVE to
twenty-five years; if such attempt is
not made the punishment shall be a |
similar fine and Imprisonment from
one to five years.
These provisions differ only in phra-
seology from those of the Senate bill.
The new provisions in regard to anar-
chists stipulate that no person who is
opposed TO all organized government
or is member of any organization en-
tertalning or teaching such opposition
shall be admitted into the United States
and that any person who aids such
person to enter shall be fined from
$500 to 5000 and imprisoned from one
to five years. The naturalization Of
anarchists is forbidden, and the courts
are empowered to investigate, and be-
fore issuing final papers to require the
affidavit of the applicant affirming the
truth of every material fact necessary
for naturalization. These provisions
are like those which were in separa e
bill that was introduced in the Senate
but which, we believe, was never report
ed from committee. There is no room
to believe that they will not be. agreed
upon IN conference and become the law
of the land, for the Senate has nos com
m'tted itself against them and it is not
presumable that it has any desire to do
so. They are in every way commend.
able and could scarcely fail to be effec-
tive in operation. If they did nothing
else they would close the mouths Of
anarchits, and silent anarchist IS al te
harmless person. f
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