The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-05-21
A TIMELY DECISION.

The decision OF the supreme court
Of the United States in the case of
Turner, the English anarchist, will
meet with the approval OF almost every
citizen OF the country. We have laws
to prohibit foreigners who are mental
ly deficient or physically decrepit or
poverty-stricken from landing upon
our shores. These laws are for the
purpose OF preventing those who are
burdens to the community in which
they live in foreign lands from becom-
ing burdens to the people OF this coun-
try. Certainly if it is wise, humane
and expedient to guard against incom-
petents, it is more important and de-
sirable to guard society against those
who are politically unsound. Turner
is an educated man and person pecu-
liarly fitted to place his dangerous doc
trlnes before the people in a plausible
light. He teaches opposition to all
law. 1t would indeed be folly to MAIN
tain that organized society has no
power to protect itself against such en-
emies. The supreme court recognizes
that freedom means freedom under
law and not outside of law Freedom
OF speech and freedom of the press is
not freedom to attack the very organ
ization of society which is the law Of
the land. The constitutional guarantee
of freedom of speech and the press
does not authorize foreigner to come
here and advocate the abolition of law
any more than it gives the right to a
foreigner to come with an armed force
and enforce his demands by war.
$50 far as the principles of civil lib
erty are concerned, the reader should
distinguish between the foreigner and
the citizen. There has been a great
deal OF confusion over the case because
this distinction was not kept we'll in
mind, and it pervades the argument Of
Turner's counsel. They appeal to the
bill of rights as if that were pertinent,
when in the strict legal sense it GER
tainly is not. When it says that Com
gress shall make no law respecting an
establishment OF religion or the free
exercise thereof, or abridging the free
dom OF speech, or OF the press, or the
right OF the people peaceably to assem-
Bile, and to petition the government for
redress OF grievances when it is
added that no person shall be deprived
of liberty without due process OF law,
and that in all criminal prosecutions
the accused shall enjoy the right to a
speedy trial by an impartial jury, ETC.,
the question OF the exclusion of for
eigners is not involved. Nothing could
be palmer than that this question is
not touched by the articles of the Con-
stitution from which we have quoted,
or by the general declaration with
which the Constitution opens, though
these seem to have been the provis-
ions upon which Turner relied"
Undoubtedly congress has the power
to exclude from the territory of the
United States every public enemy, and
it requires but little consideration to
come to the conclusion that he who
breaches against the sovereignty which
the people have instituted is a public
enemy. 1t is we'll that the highest court
in the land has spoken plainly in the
case. Foreign anarchists and political
criminals should understand that they
cannot come here and attack the very
life of society any more than they can
here and preach murder and robbery.
If organized society, known as the
state, has the right and the power to
declare certain acts, such as mu. der
and robbery, criminal, it certainly has