New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-21
MORE TYRANNY.

II is time for Birdofredum women and
other champions OF philosophical anarchys lib
erty Of teaching to hold another meeting in
Cooper Union. Not only have the minions OF
despotism succeeded in shutting out anarchists
from the United States, but they have even In
vaded New-Jersey. reannexed II to the realm
of tyranny, and refused to allow the unrurhng
of red flags or red language in Paterson. once
loved by anarchists 1t was bad enough to pre-
vent the landing of Turner, the English an
archist 1t is infinitely worse to prevent Bolton
Hall and Hugh o. Pentecost from talking. That
is not merely tyranny. 1t is cruelty, and as
likely as not it is the kind of cruelty that will
bring its own punishment, for nobody can tell
when and with what terrific force they may
explode.
The Mayor of Paterson, after reading the re-
cent Cooper Union speeches Of Mr.. Warner and
Mr. Ernest Crosby which were characteristic
ally violent, not unnaturally thought it unsafe
TO allow a similar discussion to excite the an
archistic element which, it is well known, turks
in Paterson. IL these Turner advocates really
wished TO convince conservative, sensible peo-
pie that injustice was being done to Turner, In
stead of using the law and the deportation I'M
der ii as a stimulus Of class hatred among an
ignorant and already excited body of people,
they would not have sought to stir up Pater-
son. Evidently their disposition is first of all
to incite those who can be most easily aroused
to a feeling of antagOniSm to authority. They
say they went to Paterson on a peaceful err
rand. They knew perfectly well that they were
going TO speak on the alleged wrongs Of an an
archSt to q collection of people more easily
aroused than almost any in the country TO en-
thusiasm for anarchy itself, if not, indeed,
for the murderous deeds of anarchy-for from
A. = iVar
Humbert Bolton Hall and his companions
went to be in reality preachers of anarchy.
They might cloak their mission to themselves
and others in a different guise They merely
wanted for this Englishman American rights
regardless of the fact that he has neither legal
nor moral claim to such rights. They were
filed with high enthusiasm for freedom Of
speech and constitutional liberty. But their
sentiments, clothed in the extreme language
which they habitually use, would have been in
terpreted in but one way by the radicals and
anarchists Of Paterson. 1t would have made
them firmer believers in an impending social
conflict That is what Mayor Hinchliffe saw
and that is why he rightly refused to permit
the meeting.
Yet. as we say, that is enough to turn loose
new thunderbolts of eloquence. Mr. Hall re-
ports that the Mayor merely laughed" at him.
That was a tremendous mistake. That is worse
than being tyrant He runs great risk who
laughs at any one Of these serious persons that
go out every morning before breakfast and
stand the Statue of Liberty on her head just
to show their contempt for the institutions
of their country Some of them may write
scathing poetry about him. just as they used
to about Mckinley. He may appear before his
fellow citizens a boodstained Turk or a
fiddling Nero. The mere suppression of an
archist meetings is a simple and safe perform
ance, but to laugh at men like John De Witt
Warner. Bolton Hail. Ernest Crosby and Hugh
Pentecost or stop them from talking is quite a
different thing They have no time fuses, but
20 eff on the slightest contact