The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-08-11
Another Twelve Days

A respite of twelve days has been granted Nicola
Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetu by Governor Fuller
of Massachusetts,.
For that long, at least they are to live in order
that their attorneys may take action in their
behalf that is permitted by the law. Boston dis
patches indicate that it only for this that
the Governor has ordered this last minute stay of
DEATH But there is better
Let consider Sacco and vanzetti for a moment
as merely two men convicted of murder. The edi-
tor of this newspaper does not know whether or not
they w,re properly convicted. He does not know
wheth, are guilty or innocent He knows that
some of the ~ lawyers in the United States-in no
way connected with the case-after painstakng
animation of the evidence and the trial record have
declared their belief that the State of Massachusetts,
has completely failed to prove guilt. He knows, on
the other hand that three eminent and honest citi
of Boston, after equally sincere study of the
case at the Governors request have declared the two
received fair trial and were proved guilty.
In situation uncertain this what be
done?
Doesn't the question answer itself? Commute the
sentence to life imprisonment Take no life while
this uncertainty exists Time may bring forth the
truth If the truth shall happen to be that they are
innocent of murder they can be set free and the
State itself saved from the commitment of terrible
crime. If the truth shall happen to be that they
guilty, what then?
They will still be in prison-for the rest Of their
lives They will still be paying penalty severe,
in the minds of many great criminologists, as the
death penalty They will still be undergoing punish
nlen that many regard as less merciful than death.
They will have received what is the maximum SEN
tenec now in great number of our States.
Now let us consider the case that of two an
archists convicted of murder. Not convicted of an
archy, but of murder-the robbery and murder of a
man carrying factory pay roll
All we have said above still applies. 1t would apply
whether they were anarchists communists socialists
three very different things by the way-or Demo-
Gratis Republicans monarchsts fascist. They were
not convicted of being anarchists, but of being
murderers.
Yet, all around the civilized world there are people
who believe that their conviction resulted solely be-
cause these professed anarchists. There are
millions in this country who believe that. There are
many millions more in other countries who believe it.
They believe that the case against sacco and Van
zetti was incomplete that had they not been labeled
anarchists-and in the year 1920 when the United
States was vastly excited imaginary red
menace-they would have been acquitted of the MUIR
der charge They believe that the State of Massa-
chusetts is proposing to carry through the execu-
ton of these solely because they anarchists.
Some who believe this gentle, orderly citizens.
If Sacco and Vanzetu die they will suffer for what
they consider great wrong done to two fellow human
beings But they will not attempt to do anything
about it,
Others who believe this of different kind.
They are men of disordered minds who feed these
passions on every evidence of injustice that meets
their eyes. They destructionsts. The death of
a Sacco or Vanzett is to them signal to destroy.
They are the type of anarchists that picture carry
ing bombs
1--WE die for anarchy" said vanzetti in final mes
sage from his death CELL
What did he mean? He meant that the electro
cution of himself and his fellow prisoner would turn
many discontinued persons the world around into
destructionists. And vanzetti was right. There is
no good to be obtained from blinking this fact Van
zett knows that millions consider him innocent and
that among these millions are many whose minds will
be upset by his death.
1t u.s. for the reasons given the belief of this news
paper that the electrocution of Sacco and vanzetti
will make two anarchists for every that exists
in the world today
Committing their sentence to life imprisonment will
have the opposite effect 1t will be declaration to
anarchists and budding anarchists that in America
are not sent to their death while the least I'M
certainty of their guilt remains 1t will be declara
ton that in America government exists to protect
and not to Cypress.
All government is oppression, according to the an
archists teaching Massachusetts, can disprove this
in striking fashion. While the attention of the world
is centered on this American State the opportunity
offers itself to strike useful blow at the very idea
of anarchy
1t is to be hoped the Governor of Massachusetts
will make of the opportunity.
Does anybody remember the good od-fashoned
days when girls made poets out of men instead of
rUbbernecks?
The apple crop forecast is excellent. Maybe the
doctors had better put off their vacations until
winter.
7 nan, <yn,d T.cfico