The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-07-31
WHY NOT CURB NIHILIsMs

Five thousand bowling nihilists or nihilist sym
pathizers crowded Cooper union, New York, Friday
night to celebrate the endsh deed of the assassin
who hurled the bomb that caused the death of Min
lister of the Interior Won Plehve of Russia. Every
mention of the name of the assassin, the dispatches
tell u.s. was the signal for an enthusiastic outburst
the part of the mob
Americas the United States is called-is free
country and all that sort of thing but ism it about
time, In the high of our recent experience, to put
stop to public meetings of nihilists and bombthrow-
ers in general? The death of President Mckinley
was the direct outcome of just such gatherings as
that held at New York Friday night, the assassin
having been weaklng who proved plant tool in
the hands of the leading conspirators
Yet Notwithstanding that the assassination of the
president is still fresh in the public mind, 5000
bowling nihists are permitted to congregate in one
of the American metropolis most prominent halls
and there shout themselves more frantic in exuta-
tion at the terrible achievement of the ST. Peters
burg dynamiter. That no effort was made to pre-
vent the meeting is indeed a sorry commentary upon
our boasted civilization, and bespeaks sympathy with
the madmen who seek to destroy all authority. Ger
tanly the officials of New York city have permitted
blot to come upon the name of the republic.
The nihilist has no aim in life other than to kill.
He rebels against authority, no matter in whom it
is vested. He would as gladly dynamite the presi-
dent as the cza, bPafaHng to reach the highest Of
fcial would gleefuly hurl his death-deang missile
at the first member of the cabinet who came in his
way. His acute mania for murder is encouraged byl
his fellows who go to extreme ends in laudation of
his accomplishments He joyously accepts death i'll
he can but kill some one in whom authority is vested
lie is a low creature who constitutes permanent
menace to all government, and therefore to society
Advocacy OF nihilism or of any Of its branches
should be punished with death No measure would
be too severe to employ in dealing with the bomb
thrower.
All of us know that poor Finland is bleeding
under the Russian knout. Hers is fate that calls
up the genuine sympathy Of the whole civilized
world Her people are downtrodden and as unhappy
as race possibly could be. The Russian government
may be tyrannical her official brutal and her prisons
veritabe hehoes, but no condition of affairs could
justify nihilism. There must be authority, else all
nations will perish. The man who seeks to destroy
government, who hurls bombs at public officials is
an enemy not alone to himself but to all other peo
pie as well. He should be shot like dog.
Ii nihists are to be permitted to hold their CHASTITY
senaces in our great Cities without the slightest ef
fort on the part of the police to prevent the gather
ings, it will not be long until the republic is overrun
with bomb-throwers. The spectacle of 5000 men
celebrating the assassination Of public official is
revolving, and the severest condemnation should be
called down upon the authorities who permitted the
gathering.