Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-25


MIA who desire rough house will
get" the Governor showed the fight
ing spirit of Pennsylvania since the
earliest days. He made it clear that
the State authorities are prepared
to invoke the force of the Common
wealth to stamp out any Bolshevik-
ism which may show its ugly head
here and in this one statement en-
phasized the general feeling and at
titude of the public mind in Penn
sylvania. The Governor is not an
alarmist and is not bothering partic-
ularly about the alleged undercurrent
/ of anarchy and destructive social
ism in his bailiwick but he is pos
sessed of strong common sense and
believes that eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty. He believes with
most sensible persons that there is
a good deal of hot air which is find
ing vent in foolish threats and pes
simistic prophecies, but he is also
firmly persuaded that the public sem
timent of Pennsylvanians is strongly
back of reasonable tolerance COM
bined with determination to meet all
signs of disorder with prompt meas
ures of suppression.
Like Mayor Ole Hanson, who
squelched the incipient outbreak of
anarchy at Seattle, the Governor has
faith in the common people and be-
lieves all that is necessary to main
tain order and safeguard the lives
and property of the people is a
reasonable exercise of police powers
coupled with a distinct disavowal
of ann sympathy of any sort with
the turbulent elements which are en-
couraged in their assaults upon the
public peace and the liberties of their
fellow men by the weakness of pub
lie officials and the indifference of
people generally to the individual
obligation of the citizen.
Governor Sproul is in harmony
with those in official position who
give full endorsement to the position
of Mayor Hanson, in his declaration
that anarchists and all enemies of
the United States should go, in this
statement:
Let the National Government
stop pandering to and conciliat-
ing the men who talk against 1T.
Let us clean up the United
stand up and be counted. II the
majority of the people of this
country are disloyal. and owe SUI
perior allegiance to some other
now is the time to find it out.
We refuse to treat with these
reVolutionists. Unconditional sur
render are our only terms
More and more the level-headed
people of the United States are COM
ing to the conclusion that those who
who are not for us are against us
and that the sooner the Government
at Washington gives its attention to
the deportation of all undesirables-
those who will not become Ameri-
can citizens, but who insist on max
ing this country the hotbed of
anarchy and disordeI-the better it
will be for all classes of our people.
Let us have a show down of real
American citizenship and the clearing
out of all who have raised their
hands against our institutions and
the splendid liberties which have
been safeguarded through blood and
sacrifice. We are proud of Governor
SDrouliS rod hloodad de6anoa of
trough necks" who would invite dis
order and he can rest assured that
real Americans are back of him to
a man. The Governor increased the
splendid impression of the speech to
which we have referred by another
patriotic and thoughtful address at
the Washington Birthday exercises
at the University of PENNSYLVANIA.
about the business of settling down
to our own problems, holding in full
earnestness to our International obli-
cations and giving our aid, in sub
stantial ways, to the great experiment
but insisting upon the handling of
our own national affairs, our econ
omic, racial and political questions,
in a sane and practical way, which
will keep up a great nation, united
and virile."
But he went further along this line
and adverted to the Drained
agitators who would destroy the in
stitutions and upset the system of
government which have meant so
much of happiness and prosperity for
our people. On this point he said:
To-day we hear much of agita-
tion for radical changes in our
methods of government; indeed
some alien enemies aided by ma
tive social neurotics, even plan
the destruction of the Republic
and advise direct action" or vio-
lence and terrorism toward this
end. We will attend to these
matters without much trouble al
though there may be disturbances
and attempts at disorder which
may impress the timid and the
uureasoning.
But no cult which aims at the
dethrcnement of all religion and
the destruction of law and order
will get very far. Our people
though they have been diluted a
hit in their racial characteristics,
will again stand the test, and the
comparatively few who want di-
rect action will be likely to find
plenty of it when the time comes.