Commoner.
more encouraging than the dovotion and lovo
that abounds botwecn thousands of men and
women; dovotion and loyo which wore exem
plified in the relations that existed betweon
tho lato president and his wife.
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President Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt assumes the duties
of tho presidency under conditions calculat
ed to call out tho best that is in him, conditions
which will make more ardent his natural desire
to fulfil the expectations of his countrymen.
While he was in perfect accord with Mr. McKin
lcy in regard to public questions, his strong in
dividuality will doubtless cause some uncertain
ty until his administrative policies are devel
oped. He enters office more free from political
obligations than he could have done had ho re
ceived a party nomination after a long coiltcst.
Mr. Roosevelt has a high conception of civic
virtue and his opponents will probably find
more to criticize in his doctrine than in his
methods. There will be no disposition to pre
judge him, but an earnest wish that tho govern
mental policies for which ho and his party stand
may bo tested upon their merits.
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The Cure for Anarchy.
lit is natural that the wanton and brutal as
sassination of tho President at Buffalo should
lead to a discussion of ways arid meanB for
driving anarchy out of tho "United States, and
it is important hat the subject should be dealt
with in a broad and comprehensive way.
Czolgosz had no personal animosity ;,,(ho Was
not seeking revenge for any wrong that the
administration had done him; he was aiming a
blow at tho government of which Mr. McKin
ley was tho olficial'head. !No considerable num
ber of tho American people can have any sym
pathy with tho murderer or with those
who entertain his views in regard to govern
ment. That there Bhould bo laws giving all
possible protection to our officials everyone
will concede; the only question open for dis
cussion is how to apply an effective remedy.
The suppression of anarchy is only a tempo
rary relief: we should seek not merely the sup
pression but the permanent eradication of an
archy. Stealing can and should bo suppressed
by law; but stealing cannot be eradicated until
people are convinced that it is wrong to steal.
So, anarchy can and' should be suppressed by
law, but it cannot be entirely eradicated until
all are convinced that anarchy iB wrong. Frco
government, springing as directly as possible
from tho people and made as responsive as
possible to their will, is tho only permanent and
complete cure for anarchy. Tho arbitrary gov
ernments of the old world have tried suppres
sion but have not succeeded. They have les
sened anarchy, just in proportion as they have
extended civil liberty and participation in tho
government.
Stern measure must be invoked for tho sup
pression and punishment of eveiy manifesta
tion of the anarchistic spirit, but beyond this
remedy there must be education. All must bo
taught that government is an. absolute neces
sity and that our form of government is the
best over devised. Then our government must
be made as good as intelligence and patriotierii
can make it.
There is in every human heart tho lovo of
justice and to this lovo of justice every gov
ernment ghould appoal. Yiotor Hugo described,
the mob as tho human raco in misery No
'government can afford to make its people mis
erable not even a small part of its people.
Let a man believe that ho is being justly
treated by his government and he will endure
almost anything, but let him feel that he is
being unjustly dealt with and even a slight
wrong will rankle in his bosom.
In a government deriving its powers from
the consent of the governed men will endure
much because they hope for a remedy St tho
next election. Jefferson understood this and'
among tho things urged in his firBt inaugural
address was "a jealous care of tho right' of
election by the people a mild and safe cor
rective of abuses which are lopped by the
sword of revolution, where . peaceable remedies
are unprovided."
A man is never dangerous so long as. he
has hope of relief from an evil, whether fan
cied or real, but when despair takes the place
of hope ho becomes a menace to society be
cause he feels he has nothing to lose.
While wo are legislating to prevent any
manifestation of tho anarchistic spirit on Amer
ican soil, wo should avoid those things which'
breed anarchy. Partiality in government kin
dles discontent; tho exaltation of money above
human rights, the fattening of a few at the ex
pense of the many, tho .making of artificial dis
tinctions between citizens and the lessening of
the sacredness of human life all these in their
full development encourage the anarchistic
spirit. "Wo cannot give full protection to our
officials merely by passing laws for the pun
ishment of those who assault them; neither can
we give them adequate protection by closing
our gates to those known to advocate anarchy.
These remedies, good as far as they go, are in
complete. Wo can only bring absolute secur
ity to our public servants by making the gov
ernment so just and so beneficent that every
citizen will bo willing to give his life if need
bo to preserve it to posterity. When Pericles
sought to explain tho patriotism of his country
men who fell in battle, he described Greece
and then added: "It was for such a country
then that these men, nobly resolving not to
have it taken from them, fell fighting, and
wo their survivors may bo well willing to suffer
in its behalf."
We shall fail to do our full duty as citizenB
unlesB wo bend every energy toward the rof orm
of every governmental abuse and the enact
ment of such laws as aro necessary to protect
each citizen in tho enjoyment of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness and to restrain
every arm uplifted for a neighbor's injury.
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Contemptible Politics.
.Chairman Dougherty of the Ohio Demo
cratic State Committee, with commendable
courtesy, sent a communication to Chairman
Dick of tho Republican State Committee pro
posing that, in view of tho president's assassina
tion and as a mark of personal respeot for him,
political speaking in Ohio be suspended during
the present campaign. Mr. Dick promptly re
fused, and if ho had f topped there no serious
criticism could have been made against his
'action, but in tho course of his reply he re
sorted to as contemptible a piece of politics as
has been practiced for a long time. Ho said:
"If itfseoms best to your committee to withdraw v
from antagonizing those principles, and to coaso
from further advocacy of political doctrinos which
tho President has always believed to bo perilous to
tho prosperity of the entire country, w shall be very
glad indeed to bo advised to that effect, and to have
your co-operation hereafter in tho maintenance of
more wholesome public politics."
It is a small man who would attempt to
turn a great national sorrow into a little parti
zan advantage. The assault upon the presi- -dent,
dastardly as it was, does not change tho
character of public questions. Imperialism is
just as unAmerican as it was before and tho
trusts just as menacing to every legitimate in
dustry. The volume of money has not been
increased by tho calamity which has befallen
the country, nor has tho production of gold or
the balance of trade been augmented by it.
State issues have been as little affected as na
tional ones. The necessity for reform in tax
ation and for the better control of corporations
is just as imperative as it would have been had
no anarchist attacked the president. The peo
ple must vote on these questions.
The republican party must be in a desper
ate condition in Ohio if it is compelled .to
shield itself behind the universal sympathy
felt for the late president and his widow. Mr.
Dougherty acted wisely in making tho -dffeV
which he did, but Mr. Dick has not raised him
self in public esteem by his reply.
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Nearer, My God, to He.
- By S.YRAU F. Adams.
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E'en though it he a cross
That raiseth me.
Still all my songs shall he
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
Though, like a wanderer,
The sun gone down, ,. . y , -Darkness
he over me,
My rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I'd he
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
There let the way appear, .
Steps unto heavea;
All that Thou sendest me
In mercy given.
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, My God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
Then with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,- .
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise. ' '
'So by my woes to be .-'".
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
''Or if on joyful wings , "
Cleaving the sky,'
. Sun, moon and stars forgot, '
Upward I fly.-,,
Still all my sqng shall be
Nearer, my God," to Thee!
Nearer to Thee! '
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