Are We to Blame?

     The attempt made by a Polish anarchist on the life of the chief executive of our nation has exasperated the best feelings of every citizen’s heart most keenly; but while this just indignation that a contemptible alien should lay his hands on our most sacred public trust thus is fresh in our hearts, let us ask ourselves whether we are altogether blameless in the matter. Do we not, by too great freedom of speech toward our public men, encourage others to believe that we hold too lightly by them? Not only during the acrimonious heat of campaigns, but in the peaceful interval between, our newspaper writers and our public speakers use such language of our best and greatest men as to indicate to an outsider that they are things of little worth; what wonder then that this idea should grow, in the narrow, cramped brain of a serf-born foreigner, into a belief that his murderous impulses were in accord with ours? Let us thank God that this man has failed; and hereafter bridle our own tongues.