| Show THE ANARCHIST QUESTION THE cases of the condemned anarchists anarchist are among amo nathe the most important that have ever been before the courts of th the e country it may not only be in relation to the principals that they involve a matter of life and death that consideration may also enter into them to 8 some ome extent as regards the nation whose peace and life are threatened by the existence and growth of the anarchist element within the borders of the republic were it not for the peril to t the commonwealth involved the question of public policy would not enter into a matter so se purely a subject of legal and judicial manipulation the courts of the state slate of illinois seem to be immovable in relation to those cases the latest indication of this determination being the refusal to allow captain black counsel for the anarchists to take the the original record to new york to enable him to consult with an associate regarding the best steps to take in order to reach the supreme court of the united states from present appearances even if a copy of the tremendously voluminous record should be obtained and an attempt be made to reach the court of last resort success in the effort looks doubtful that tribunal hardly ever if ever considers criminal cases arising in the state courts unless it can ie be shown that in their conduct a federal law has been infringed or a constitutional right denied if there is element of error in those cases in either ot these directions it has not yet been made apparent the immense gathering of anarchists in in new york the other evening was a significant sign from several points of view the speech made by herr most in relation to the condemned chicago men was as violent and blood bloodthirsty thirsty as it could be he designated them as martyrs and demanded that providing they should be executed a human life betoken betaken be taken for every drop of their blood taken literally on an estimate of the number of drops in the blood of seven able bodied men to carry out that most sanguinary proposition would involve an extensive massacre the dispatches stated that other speakers were equally ferocious fei ocious and that the savage and incendiary sentiments were vigorously endorsed by the immense assembly even members of the tender sex were present and partook of the pi prevailing feeling this public occurrence is not only significant as exhibiting some of the most dangerous views view and sentiments with which human beings can be imbued but la is interesting in its aspect relative to the chicago cases spies et al were tried and condemned to death not on the ground that they had any actual hand in the killing of the policemen but on the ground round that their previous conduct leato lea to the murder this conduct consisted of their membership in an organization which insisted sited in on a common right of the people eople to property and a seizure and gi division vision of it among them they advocated this theory and the use of violence with deadly weapons to enforce it three thou sand of the members of the organization were armed and drilled regularly to enable them to carry out a blood bloody conspiracy against the commonwealth mon wealth by speeches and writings in certain public journals those men incited people belonging to their f fraternity ra to deeds of blood by the use of deadly weapons including bombs etc they were convicted on the ground that although they did not personally throw the bombs by which the policemen were killed their inciting conduct led to the commission of the deed assuming that the law of the state of new york Is the same as that of illinois then the condee condace t of herr most and his companions at the cooper institute the other night was as guilty as was that of spies and his companions before the actual ders occurred at chicago carrying it still further should the anarchists be executed and an uprising attended with loss of life occur as advocated at the cooper institute on the same ground upon which the chica chicago 0 men were hanged most and his assha associates at the late meeting must receive the same kind of medicine even if they take no active hand in a bloody riot there is another point of logic it if not of law in this connection of course if no violent outbreak shall occur when the anarchists are executed then the sanguinary remarks of herr most and his associates would be legally innocent now if men are to be condemned to death tor for murder because they have incited the actual perpetrators to commit it would not the same species of construction upon culpability render the inciter guilty of attempted murder independent of the real consummation of that crime surely if the one position be correct the other must be relatively so this qu question stion opens up still another field it will be granted that men may belong to a destructive society and may utter incendiary speeches and publish writings of the same character without such proceedings leading to the commission ot ol the acts they incite this being the case it would seem to be a preceding essential to conviction to establish an actual personal alalu aiding and abetting by individual contact ang and communication between the inciter and the actor the aspects of the cases of the chicago anarchists are numerous and the points involved important if any element of public policy has been injected into these cases legislative steps should be taken to obviate any necessity to render reader the law unusually elastic men who seek to demolish social safeguards bards and bring about a chaotic condition should be determinedly handled but the law should be so clear in its capacity capaci to meet such contingencies that its scope and intent will be practically unquestionable ansten any tendency to extend the law to cause it to conform to public policy is not free from danger the law should be sound and adequate in the first place and such a necessity would thus be obviated shenew the new york demonstration rive give out the idea that the action of the courts has not thrown a wet blanket upon the sentiments and purposes of the anarchist elements there appears to be no doubt that their presence and increasing kiors are a menace to the internal peace of the country the question of anarchism as a whole is not however a merely national one it is Is a sub subject connected connect ed with the w whole hal elect lect chiv civilized iced world its strength in any one nation is increased by the encouragement coura gement and support it obtains from other parts of the out the ramifications of which its roots and tea tendons doias are spread |
