Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1901 — A Note of Warning. [ARTICLE]

A Note of Warning.

The Buffalo tradgedy has aroused the indignation of the civilized world and determined the people of the United States upon an exterminating war on anarchy- The great danger in proceeding against anarchist organizations is that the authorities are not apt to properly discriminate between liberty and license. The founders of the republic in insuring the people the utmost freedom of criticism and discussion never contemplated organizations which openly advocate the assassination of rulers. Men are not permitted to stand in the streets and advocate the burning of public buildings, and yet no one looks upon this prohibition as a blow to the freedom of discussion. The suppression of incendiarism has always been justified by the great champions of speech.The tendency of a few bigots, however, is to look upon every political proposition opposed to their views as dangerous to civilization. The Republicans did something to dignify anarchy by their idiotic denunciation of all democrats as anarchists during the campaign of 1896. Many people concluded that if the condemnation of prevailing conditions is anarchy, then anarchy has no terrors. The republican press has always attempted to confuse the public mind in its conception of anarchy—always tried to make legitimate liberty out to be dangerous license. Thus, during the administration of the elder Adams, an attempt was made to muzzle a legitimate criticism of government and governors by the infamous sedition laws. But for the instantaneous condemnation of the laws by the people that freedom of expression which has been the safeguard of American liberty would have been struck down. Now today the same cowardly policy is pursued. During the last campaign the republicans substituted the charge of “treason” for that of “anarchy” in denouncing those who saw fit to criticise the policy of the government, and in so doing they deprived the term “treason” of some of its infamy. Hardly had the dastardly assault been made upon Mr. McKinley when the republican press—including the Indianapolis Journal began to trace the crime to democratic opposition to the pol- ' icy of the president’s administration. Of course such puerile action is only worthy of contempt. It is idiotic. The democratic party criticised the policy of the , McKinley administration, and it I does not retract a solitary syllable. It will continue in the future as in the past to exercise its constitutional right of criticism, and such epithets as “anarchist” and “traitor” will not deter it.

But this tendency on the part of the republican press suggests the danger that lurks in any attempt to legislate against anarchy. Is there any assurance that we will not next legislate against I socialism, and then criticism of officials and then of laws? Any legislation against the murderous organization of anarchists should be carefully considered lest it contain some subtle danger to the legitimate right of every Amerii can to criticise the action of his i government.—lndianapolis Sentinel.