Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-22

4
Violent, is within our borders and
privileged TO pursue her bent She is
/ indebted for that permission to Wood
row Wilson. President of the United
| States, who could not withstand the
| demands for her release She threat
| ened TO hunger strike" until dead if
not admitted to this country; an ele-
| ment of our population. Invariably car
| riea astray by heroic or any grade of
| martyrdom Immediately sprang to
her support, and the administration
surrendered to this hysteria. With
no authority of law, the President has
; seen fit to emancipate hundred times
criminal among the people for whose
welfare he is responsible Without
giving the courts an opportunity to
pass upon the question, he has drawn
the line between the poor, unknown
immigrant and the notorious, power
, full one.
Mr.. Wilson's confidence may be just
flied by the behavior of Mrs. Pank-
hurst: administration papers may up
hold rim and rail at the Tyranny OF
our immigration laws, but the facts
are unebseured Mrs. Pankhurst and
her followers have committed arson.
assault. robbery: have thrown bombs,
sought mob rule. and attempted muir
der That there is d probability of her
conducting herself disereetly should
not he considered.
She has shown herself devoid of
Judgment, morally deficient and with
no respect for obligation OF favor. 1t
canaot be right to ignore such menace
as MIR Wilson has done.
We publish leading editorial COM
ment on both sides of the question.
Criticizes Wilson's Step.
The Boston Transcript, as usual in
cases of vital public interest. goes be-
meath the surface to find what rests
or boils-beneath. 1t uncovers the
fact that President Wilson's action
emancipating Mrs. Pankhurst was tax
en- without any authority of lawn
doubtedly because OF 1.-THE hysterical
ueople" who demanded her release.
The Transcript editorial follows;
When word came from Ellis Island on
Saturday that Mrs. Pankhurst had oeen
authorities many there were VINO eN-
pceted that the inevitable 'outcry over
Sunday would bring reversal OF the
order from Washington early MONDAY
4 -
That the hysterical people who rushed
to the rescue Of this notorious law
breaker may know to whom they are ~
debted for her release. President Nhsou
has taken charge of the case iii person.
and without any authority OF law eman-
cipates her by executive order. Ihefe Is
The law is set aside by the President
and Mrs FankhuTst enters this country
a beneficiary and doubtless potent
evangelist of Woodrow Wilson ana the
new freedom. From the political
point of view the entire AFFAIR has been
Conducted cleverly and doubtless We
shall witness the return of the visitor III
1916 as a campaign speaker IN the SUI
fraee states for the reelection of Presi-
dent Wilson.
fond we are as Americans OF saying:
ours is a government of laws, not OF
men''-nor of women. and of boasting
that in this country there is one law ior
all. rich and poor. men and women, the
powerful and the weak. is 1t really 50 I.
Under the same law nearly every week
some poor Italian immigrant VINO does
not know the meaning OF the WORD IL
deperted by order of the immigration au-
thorities. and properly SO, for the law IN
plain language excludes anarchists ana
undesirables, including those convicted
in their own countries OF crime IN
volving moral turptude. But the
Italian immigrant has never been con-
victed as has Mrs. Pankhurst, of
crime involving "moral turpitude, he
has never SET nfe 10 puUulHSs. lioi pam
ed a bomb in the home of the Prime
Minister. nor hurled acid into the lace
of his fellow citizens in a fanatical at
tempt to disfgure or blind them Tor HE.
HI. il excluded because the law directs 1t
and because he lacks the political follow
ing in this country that can intimidate
or cajole Vaeciliating administrator
into admitting him.
Mrs. Pankhurst has done all OF these
things and more. She comes to this
country for the purpose of obtaining
money to return to England and con
tinue her warfare. Her defence is that
her deeds have been committee III
worthy cause. which can be won only py
violence That plea was made by the
Mcnamara brothers when they dynamlt-
ed the Los Angeles Times. Their de-
fence was that they did not intend to
inture anyone. but they were working In
the cause of organized labor. That plea
did not suffice TO save them from Just
verdict that was overwhelmingly sns-
tanned by public opinion. That plea does
not avail to save Mrs Pankhurst from
the condemnation of that same pubic
opinion today even though ii has awaited
to relieve her from the operation or
lust and wise law. The same hysterical
handing the release OF Thaw joined the
SUNDAY chorus the country oyer in cali
ing on the White House for the release
of Pankhurst. Mrs Pankhurst belongs
TO the union of law breakers and by az ,
hitting her President Wilson has placed
In her hands bomb and a fresh loren
for her boast is that she is mere 10 raise
money To continue her campaign at
home