Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-13
WHIP FOR ANARCHISTS
SECRETARY BONAPARTE FAvORS
DEATH FOR PLoTTERs.

on anarchists VINO sought 10 take lie, anu
whipping and Imprisonment for less serious
offenses. Among the latter he included Sc
ditious speeches.
"Czolgosz was recognized" he said, Ito
be probably no worse than some thousands
many more scattered throughout the CIV
ilized world-men and women who accept
the name and share the opinions he avow-
ed So far as could be seen, his reasons
for killing President Mckinley would lead
any one of them to kill President Roose-
welt, should opportunity offer, and with this
practical application of their theories, their
existence became a source of real peril not
only to presidents. but to all public Off
GERS and eminent men. Anarchists were in
stinctively recognized as dangerous, odious
and disgusting public enemies, and we were
favored with many and varied suggestions
as to how we might be rid of them.
Measures Merely Palliative.
1.-The measures finally adopted" he con-
tinued, were so plainly mere pallatives
that even now it may be we'll to consider
briefly what merit, if any, can be found
In some of the more radical remedies then
proposed for this evil.
1T was suggested that anarchism be
eradicated through concert of the pow
ers.' which should recognize the crimes
of extradition. By all means, let us give
up any ssassins. or would-be assassins, of
foreign rulers who reach our shores. But
a concert of the powers will not suffice
TO destroy anarchism any more than the
like concert has skfficed to destroy theft.
THE next proposal was that any dissent
nation of anarchistic literature and the
publication of anarchistic doctrines,
whether by speech or writing, be punished
as a crime. This suggestion was of far
less obvious merit. - -.--.'--'-' 49,
"A few well-known men and some news
papers advised at that time that all harsh
criticism of any President be, if not for
hidden by law. at least strongly discour-
aged by public opinion on the ground that
such censure, whether justified or not by
the facts, might lead some crack Drained
visionary or dangerous fanatic to ina CINE
that the Presidents murder would advance
the nations welfare.
Our Freedom of Speech.
''This proposal hardly merits serious dis
cussion. If our country is to continue free
we must and will continue to talk and
write as freely as we and our fathers have
always talked and written about public
acts of our public servants. If this free
dom of speech exposes them to violence,
and if we cannot or will not protect them,
then we do not deserve to live in a free
country.
Doubtless much that is said Of public
officials, from the President down, is, al
ways has been and always will be unjust,
uncharitable and foolish. but the American
people can judge soberly as to this. With
us Incorporate criticism is never effective.
Indeed, little of 1t often spoils the effect
of much sound and timely censure. AL
fully merited. the public will not overlook
that tenth part of prejudice or 6verstate-
ment which disfigures it. In any event, to
discharge or even to forbid a free ex-
mi nj to Y,,lhli II,
would certainly not destroy or even check
afarchism.
There is much more to be said in favor
OF those restrictions on immigration which
are intended to shut out foreign anarchists,
and it was undoubtedly well to arm the
federal executive with wider powers to de-
port, or otherwise rid the country of dis
loyal or turbulent aliens, whether these
call themselves anarchists or not While
we may thus reduce the number of our an
archists, it Is sadly certain that we cannot
homemade brand large enough to gravely
trouble
The Cure for Anarchism.
$50 much for the evil. How can it be
cured? Anarchism will not be removed
within given time or through a special
measure or set of measures. Perhaps 1t
will not be wholly removed in any time or
by any means. I believe that anarchism
has been and can be made less dangerous
by being dealt with seriously and ration
ally.
I'm the first place, the unlawful acts
prompted by anarchism should be made
crimes, in SO far as they are not. strictly
speaking, crimes already, and should be
punished with such penalties as are par
ticularly distasteful to the criminals and
therefore the most effective .deterrents to
crime.
ITO keep an anarchist for years in
penitentiafy merely burdens the COM
munity with the support of an irreconcil-
able enemy, with the constant risk OF his
escape or pardon, and the certainty that
whenever he leaves he will be. If possible,
a worse man than when he entered. On
anarchists the death penalty should be I'M
equivocally imposed by law and inf1exibly
executed whenever the prisoner has sought,
directly indirectly, to take life.
For offenses of less gravity 1 advise
comparatively brief but very rigorous i'm
prisonment characterized by complete seclu-
sion, deprived of all comfort and denial of
any form of distraction. and a severe, but
not public. whipping. The lash, of all pun
ishments most clearly shows the culprit
that he suffers for what his fellow-men
hold odious and disgraceful, and not merely
for reason of public policy.
Abridgement Of Freedom Of Speech.
amy abridgement from fear Of the an
archists Of that freedom of speech and Of
the press guaranteed us by our state and
nor worthy policy: but these privileges in
no wise shield counselors of crime or insti-
gators of disorder and rebellion. A pub
lished writing recommending the murder Of
the chief magistrate and the violent over
throw of the government is seditious libel
at common law. and there is no good rea-
son why the public utterance of spoken
words Of the same purport should not be
made like offense by statute. 1t is already
a crime to advise a felony or grave misde-
meanor IL the advice leads to the crime sug
gested. and there is no good reason why
this should not become a substantive offense
without regard to its consequences.
THE final and most truly vital condition
Of success in Kidding our country OF anarch-
ism is that American public opinion should
recognize the utter emptiness the inherent
folly. of it's theory and Of all the kindred
ready made. furnished while you wait
schemes for the social regeneration of
mankind Civilized society, as it exists to-
day, is the outcome Of all the strivings for
justice and happiness of the human race
during thousands of years. What mon
strous presumption. what preposterous con-
ceit, for any man. were he the wisest
the most learned. the most justly famed Of
hissown age or of all ages. to imagine that
with but the dim. Pickering lights of his
own dull. feeble mind and a few imperfect