Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-02-03
A misunderstanding.

The truth half told is worse than a
lie very often and for that reason ey-
cry Individual tit to be called man,
wishes to know the whole truth about
any matter which may be brought to
mis- attention. This is true without
regard to how much or how little i'm
portance attaches thereto.
On last Wednesday, by order of the
school board and III Pursuance OF a
proclamation by the Governor Of Wis
consin, school was suspended. The
purpose was to commemorate the
birth of one Of the great men Of our
time, President Mckinley. Following
out that purpose the principal of the
school spoke a few words to the as
.embled pupils. AS mlsconception
Of those words has gained currency it
may be we'll to say again what was
said then:
Tine school takes a recess not to
have holiday but to show, for a
great man, that respect which the
American People are always quick to
show President Mckinley was great,
not, it is true, in the same way in
which Washington and Lincoln, bat
great because elected to the head Of q
great nation; great because he admin
stered his high office successfully;
great because Of the simple grandeur
Of his private life. We respect his
memory and mourn his loss, for ia-
deed his death was sad blow, not 80
much because a man was killed as be-
cause of the fact that the people had
chosen him as their chief The la
inevitable thing is that it should be
possible to find in the United States =
man who could be induced to commit
so dAstardly crime and still think he
was doing RIGHT. The assassin
thought his act wise, a favor to the
people; in that belief he gave up his
life. But that is no excuse for his
crime; that did not make it any bet
ter, or any less sad or any iesssbitter,
or any less hard to bear. He was
electrocuted and rightly SO. No sane
man will argue for one second taat he
should not be killed. No good citi-
zen can excuse his act or ask that he
be handled in any but the seyerest
way. His act toi feited all consider
alton due a man and it would be The
worst kind OF bad advise to defend his
crime in any way. lie was killed as
an example 10 others but not because
the people hated him PERSONALLY.
The tirSl act of the officers were to
protect his life from violent hands.
lie was executed because he repre-
.sented an idea, AnarcnY. True his
death did not Kill Anarchy nor car
any mum Der of deaths of.tnat Kind ae-
complish that result But it does act
as warning to others. The question
now comes up If death will not stop
Anarchy, what will9 Can we gather
up anarchists and send tnem away to
some desert island? Can we Kill an
archy by passing laws wnich will
keep public officials from being crlti-
cisede The first plan is absurd be-
cause the difficulty is not SO much to
handle anarchists after they are found
as to find out who and where they
are. The second plan is not good be-
cause 10 law can reach mans
thoughts and they must be reached ii
cure is to be effected.
Since fighting Anarchy directly can
at best only hold it in cneck in places
where it is least to be feared, what
can we do to get at it's root? The only
practical thing is education. Educate
public sentiment Whlch will see and
,sfee and know that it snot such as he
who murdered our Martyred Presi-
dent that is most TO be feared and
dreaded He is not our worst enemy,
bad though he is. The man who is
looked upon as leader in society,
business or public affairs and who, by
breaking laws, for selfish ends creates
contempt for law among the uneiu-
Gated and lowly; is the one who makes
possible the existence Of the Anar-
chist with the red hands and conse-
quently he is our most maIignent and
deadly enemy. Dishonesty anu ua-
fair dealings among the middle AMI
upper classes are responsible. more
than Emma Goldman, for the anar-
chists Of this country. For the man