Arizona republican., 1904-03-31
To Protect the President.

The slswnoss with which congress sometimes responds to public senu- Ynent-whea the political fortunes or che r,e-,l,srs are not invOlved-is H. frustrated by the action just taken hS ,b. synats committee on judiciary on ths an Co protect the person Of the ,-esleoT,. A few days ago the com- ,-it,os reported favOrably a measure ,rht-h prsscribes the death penalty for attempts against the life of the presi- esa, CT vice president. Thus two wears and a half after the assassination r, President Mckinley. the senate ,araily sets in motion the machinery which may produce the law that the reople demand and have demanded ever since NIT. Mckinley was mur- cered
 The bin as drawn is sufficiently rigorous in its provisions. and pro- ylded it is enacted into law the coun- try will overlook the delay. It IS pro- vlded in the first section that any per son within the limits of the United States or any Island subject to the ,urisdiction thereof who shall wilfully or rnaIiciously attempts to kill either of the president or vice president or the United States. or any officer upon whom the duties of president have de- yolyed. shall suffer death.
 Another section provides the same penalty for any person who wilfully and mallciously attempts to kill either the president or the vice president and It ls this section which has been demanded by the people. In most states Of the union the death penalty is prescribed for murder, hence in them the proposed federal statute will provide no greater punishment for the assassination of the chief magistrate. Hut It ls for the attempted murder of the president that the proposed law is especially needed. IL will be readily recalled that. following the shooting of Mr. Mckinley and when it was thought he would recover. there was extreme indignation all over the country be- cause the laws Of New York provided a maximum punishment of but ten years Imprisonment for the attempted murder Sentimental folks may argue all they please against the death pen alty. and may insist all they choose that 10 put n murderer to death Is inhunan and uncivilized. but the com mon sense Of the world holds to the other view: and the public is just as strongly convinced that death should be the punishment for all attempts against the life of the president or vice president
 cults properly. We think. the bill re- ported by the senate committee also prescribss the death penalty for the murder or attempted murder of foreign ministers and ambasSadors accredited to the United States and engaged in the performance of their official duties.
 Another important section of the bln provides that any accessory be- fore the fact to any Of the onenses de- scrlbed may be indicted and punished as a principal This will effectualIy gather Into the meshes of the laws drhgnst all anarchists whose ha- Tangues result in the murder or att tempted murder of the president.
 Another section provides that any person who shall wilfully and know ingiy a!d in the escape of any person guilty Of either of the offenses. mem toned In the act shall be deemed an accomplice after the fact and shall be punished by nne or imprisonment. at The discretion of the court. as a prin- clpaL although the party or parties to the onense shall not be indicted Or convicted.
 Senator Bacon of Georgia announced that he would make a minority report against the bnl. but it Is 10 be hoped that the measure will speedily become a law.