Jetsam and Flotsam

REMEDY FOR ANARCHISM.

     Mr. John R. Dos Passos, a member of the New York Bar and author of a well-known work on the law affecting stockbrokers, desires that the congress of the United States should call an international conference to consider the suppression of anarchism. This idea is not a new one, nor capable of doing much to supply a prompt remedy for the evil. It will be remembered that some three years ago such a conference was convened in Rome, a great deal of interest was evoked by it, much discussion took place and resolutions were adopted for the mutual surrender of criminal anarchists. But since this conference the anarchists have offered the cruellest [sic] sort of testimony to their disregard for its deliberations—they have boldly assassinated the King of Italy and President McKinley. Perhaps the most effective way of dealing with this cancerous growth in the body-politic is for each member of the family of nations to make it a legal offense to attempt to promote the aims and interests of anarchism by word or deed within its borders. This done, there would be no need for international concert beyond some provisions for the extradition of this class of offenders.
     Having done this, the powers should agree upon a suitable island and transport thither all persons convicted of any such offense; provide them plentifully with the usual weapons used by anarchist assassins, appropriate implements for agriculture and fishing, etc., and such supply of food, clothing and household effects as might be necessary to start them in business. After that let them work for their own living, and live or starve as they might elect. As people of this class consider that all governments are objectionable, give them none, but merely provide a gun boat to see that they are not taken away from the island, and leave them to work out their destiny according to their own will and pleasure. They might perhaps in the course of a short time realize something of the desirability of law and order, and probably find out that all men are not born equal. If the result should prove to be the same as happened to the Kilkenny cats, the world would be none the worse for the legacy of their tails, and a wholesome lesson would have been taught to kindred spirits still at large.