Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-04-16
NEW ANARCHY CHECK
URGED BY PRESIDENT
Writes Congress Further LegisIa-
tion Is Needed in Work of
Suppression.
BONAPARTE MAKES REPORT.
Asserts Postmaster General Nav Ex-
clude from Mails Papers Fo-
menting Assassination.

In one of the shortest messages which
he has yet transmitted to Congress,
President Roosevelt called the attention
of that body to the necessity for fur
Their legislation on the subject of an
archy. He said: The anarchist is
the enemy of humanity, the enemy of
all mankind, and his is a deeper degree
of criminality than any other With
the message he transmitted a report re-
viewing the legal phases of the cues
ton by Attorney General Bonaparte.
The message of the President follows
To the Senate and House of Represent
atives: | herewith submit letter from
the department of Justice which explains
itself Under this opinion / hold that
existing statutes give the President the
power TO prohibit the Postmaster General
from being used as an instrument in the
commission of crime: that is. to prohibit
the use of the mails for the advocacy of
murder, arson and treason and l shall
act upon such construction.
Unquestionably, however, there should
be further legislation by Congress in this
preston of anarchy, every other question
sinks into insignifcance. The anarchist
is the enemy of humanity. the enemy of
all mankind, and his is deeper degree of
rriminality than any other. No immi
grant is allowed to come to our shores if
he is an anarchist, and no paper publish
ed here or abroad should be permitted
circulation in this country if it propagates
anarchistic opinions.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Called to Gov. Forts Attention.
Besides his direction to the Postmas-
ter General to exclude from the mails
such publications as La QUESTION: So
ciale, President Roosevelt in his letter
to Attorney General Bonaparte, asking
for an opinion on the legal phases of
the subject, says he has had the partic-
ular case called to the attention of Gov.
Fort, of New Jersey, by Secretary Root,
that the Governor may proceed under
the State laws.
The opinion of the Attorney General,
which the President transmits to Con-
greSs, embraces discussion of the
whole subject from many legal angles.
His first conclusion is that the article
in question, which advocates the use of
arms and dynamite. in annihilating pO-
lice and soldiers, that anarchy may pre-
vail, constitutes ''seditious LIBEL and
is undoubtedly a crime at common
law
He declares that there is no federal
statute which makes such publications
an Offense against the United States,
and that the federal courts consequent
ly have no jurisdiction in the matter
That there is full power in the posses
sion of Congress to make such publica-
tons criminal the Attorney General as
serts, and quotes Chief Justice Fuller
of the Supreme Court and Mr.. Justice
Field as authority.
The greater portion of his opinion is
devoted to the question of whether,
in the absence of any legislation by
Congress. the Postmaster General has
the right to exclude such publications.
Postmaster General will be justified in
excluding from the mails any issue Of
any periodical. otherwise entitled to the
privileges of second-class mail matter,
tuting a seditiolls libel and counsel
ing such crimes as murder, arson riot
and treason