Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-12
WHY BOMBS?
By BRIGGS

[From. Christian Science Monitor. ]
Thousands of people in the United
States, reading of the bomb explo-
sions that have wrecked the door
ways of judges, lawmakers, and
others having some official share in
the support of the public law and
order, are asking one another:
What is the answer to the bomb
outrages?" AS if, indeed, there
were any doubt of the answer; as
If the ansewr had not esta blished
and written down in this country
long before such a thing as a bomb
had ever been thrown in the protest
of radicalisn against the existing
social order. The answer to the
pomb outrages in this country is
the United States of America. All
oasis for protest with bombs dis
appears wherever the United States
1orm OF government is really under
stood and taken advantage of. That
is the answer. 1t is adequate. The
United States of America has alwavs
been the answer to Europeanism
For the very purpose of giving such
an answer, this Government came
INTO being. 1t was the answer to
the monarchical tyranny of Europe
in 1776; it is the answer to the Eur
opean proletarian tyranny of to-day.
But it requires to be understood
ana appned. If the proletarian
nosts VINO have come to this country
from Europe-and it matters NOT
tor the moment, whether they came
voluntarily or were induced to come
DIV American nj iefe -, d,
laborers they came seeking indvid-
ual benefit-only understood the
American idea as built into the limit
ed states form of government. they
would see that their protest against
the government here, in spite of
their feeling that the government
is at present capitalistic, is as need :
less as motive power to give motion
to ball in the middle of an in
clined plane.
The Government is a government
OF the people, by the people. and
for the people, now as ever: but
the people must consciously and
definitely take and keep their Gov
ernment for themselves, or thew
must expect to see it usurped and
turned against them. The founders
of the Nation made control of gov
ernment easy in order that the com
mon people might control it. If the
radicals, the Bolsheviki, and the an
, archists in this country are NOT !,
minority, If they really represent the
people, they can take over the Gov
erhment at any time by merely or
eanlzlng and casting the ma ioritv
vote In national election. Thev
need DO no more than this in order
10 establish the soviet system in tbe
united States, or to make tba ~
ie.ariat supreme, or to abolish much
oI what they call order. or to take
money from the very pockets ~
capltal, or to have a revolution To
40 TINS, however, they must talk for
the government of the United States
not against it; the free speech which
tney prize so highly must unboId
the constitution, not undermine ~.
they must speak, for liberty and not
LOT mere license; they must use tbai =
streilsth TO build, and not waste n
to destroy waste IL
ana lf, after all, the bomb tbroy
ers and their friends insist tbat w,
this, if they. should do II Ia. o,s1. a.,
ihereiy esta blish what they wish on
,n,atlonahstic basis, whereas their
VIII Is TO make it international tbo
answer is that half a loaf is battae
@ @than no bread, and if thev bniId
thelr social heaven in one countr,.
only. success achieved there MI,
surely pave the way to interna +io,, =
success in time. ''oiiai
so why bombs?