The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-23
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.


Have you a sure, warranted-nOt-to-faii
cure for anarchy? II you have. you are
the very person Uncle Sam is looking for
right nov. The predicament OF the man
who IS between the devil and the deep
blue sea is but a momentary period OF
indecisi0n as COMPARED with that Of the
government IN the handling Of the an
archist How To get rid of the 'red" is
a question not so easy 10 solve as IL
seems TO be. and when each plan pro-
posed IS analysed IL IS found 20 have
about six advantages 10 q half dozen
drawbacks. But the attack on the Chi
cago chief OF police. and the murder Of
the Denver priest have brought about
q recrudescence OF the talk Of externli-
nation that grew so ominous just after
the assassination OF President Mckinley.
The reds must 90" was then the cry,
even as 1t is to-day. but there is little to
Indicate that they went
The fact is. there is a wide divergence
OF opinion as 10 how TO handle the an
archist. There are two schools OF tnougnt
as 10 the best way 70 hold him in check
The one believes in stern, strict unreient-
nuzzled. his utterances and his writings
smothered the minute they come 10 the
surface. Mr.. Roosevelt IS OF this school
He said in his message to Congress that
anarchy IS no more an expression Of
social discomfort than is pocket-picking
or wife beating and further on, that
If ever anarchy is triumphant il viii
last but one red moment. TO be succeeded
FOR ages by the gloomy night Of des-
potism. He then urged Congress to pass
the most stringent legislation against
anarchists. and 10 regard them as out
laws Of the first water.
This same idea finds expression in the
action Of Philadelphia in calling 10 a halt
the anarchist meeting scheduled TO take
place there and In determining TO put a
quletus on any anarchistic utterances
that may be made at any other meeting
which might be held II also finds ex-
preston in the New York law against
anarchy in that State the police power is
exercised 10 prevent the propagatioi. Of
anarchistic doctrine whenever IL par
takes Of the nature Of the gospel Of muir
der and assassination. New York has
comparatively few anarchists. The laws
OF New Jersey are more hospitable 20
them.
The other school takes the ground that
harsh measures drive the anarchist u
cover. that the secret proceedings are
more dangerous than those which ar,
open. that where the anarchist Is not de-
MED the right of free speech and public
lassembIage he can be kept track II. ant
violence can thus be kept down Its sup
| porters point out that where the harshes
measures have been adopted the an
archists flourish the most. and that y
| England and America. where their lido
] syncrasies are allowed 10 come 20 light
there is not nearly 50 much violence OF
the part Of anarchists As there is in thos'
countries where the profession Of thet
/ faith makes them outlaws, 10 be hunte'
down like wild animals
This policy is Illustrated by the Illinois
way Of handling the situation. There an
archists are allowed 10 speak and writ
on their favorite subject as much as thel
/ are inclined TO. and the result is tha
they are all known To the officers Of TIT
law and can be kept track Of However
the Illinois law makes every anarchist re
( sponsibie for his utterances. For in
stance. II the murder OF President Nc
/ Kinley had taken place in Chicago. O
in any part Of Illinois, Emma Goldman
whose preachings affected Czolgosz, coul
have been held as an accomplice in IN
eyes OF the law. The sum Of the Illinoi
II law is that II a man or q woman ha
been influenced TO commit a crime by tn
words or writing OF another. the autho
OF those words is equally guilty with n
actual perpetrator OF the crime
Chicago has probably come as near Z
offering a solution OF the question Of an
archy as any other place or earth. A
the Chicago Commons there is what /
known as the Free Floor. Here whose
ever viii may come and have his SAY
The anarchist comes and is given tire
minutes He raves about the injustice @
government. repeating the arguments tha
he has heard m some foul-smelling sa
loon To meet these arguments there ar
good speakers ready who have been Sc
cured by those who seek 10 uplift N
benighted souls The anarchist come.
so TO speak, with his bomb in his han
for everybody Next time he comes Wit
IL in his pocket. and perhaps the thir
time he leaves Il at home. He Is mad
TO see the utter futility OF desperat
methods and the hopelessness Of accom-
plishing anything by violence He wi
still remain an anarchist. but. as a rule
he ceases 70 be filled with the spirit o
assassination and murder.
The crusade that has been going o
against anarchy lately cannot bear
great deal of fruit. as might be suppose
from what has been written on the sub
ject, unless there is new legislation. i
fifteen years there have been less than
half dozen anarchists debarred from ou
!; ports The law prohibits the entry Of a
; anarchist. and every immigrant is aske
whether or not he is one OF course. n
J anarchist would admit it when he seek
! to land. and so they go through. 1t i
| only where information comes from tn
country from whence he sails that ne ca
be kept out. After he gets here. he is 10
/ three years liable TO deportation If he
found TO be q criminal or an aharchis
When that period expires he cannot b
deported, do what he viii. However
there is now bill pending in Congress
which will extend this period of Habilit
} to deportation so as TO reach any alier
no matter how long he may have been
, America
After an anarchist has become a either
deportation is out Of the question He
then secure. under the Constitution. in hi
right TO stay in America. and there is n
legislation now pending which aims at
constitutional amendment against him.
will take at least three years 10 amen
the Constitution Of the United States 70
any purpose. even after the people az
willing 10 amend il II has been pro
posed 10 depOrt Emma Goldman. but 3
she was not Of age when her father wa
naturalized, she is, therefore, a citizen
the United States and could not be ID