The Penalty of Vituperation

     The dispatches have, just now, many accounts of men beaten by the crowd for expressing more or less pleasure at the assault on the president. These men are not anarchists, but just men who are going about among us everywhere. It would be well to note the reason they give for their opinion. One reported this morning said he was glad of it, for “McKinley was no poor man’s president.” Another was glad of it because McKinley was “encouraging the rich to crush the poor.” For years men, not anarchists, or breakers of the peace, have been going about among us talking that stuff and were applauded by some. Now, because some foolish fellow has taken that talk seriously and knows no better than to give it expression now, he gets his sconce pounded. Is it any worse to say such things today than it was a week or a year ago? And it is not against President McKinley alone that this kind of talk has been directed. But none of the others, at this speaking, have been assassinated. When one of them is, will some more credulous fools get their heads broken? The fact is that people have become accustomed, in what some call “political” discussion, to say many crude and brutal things which only such a crisis as this brings into hideous relief. It is time all took warning and guarded their speech, confining it to reasonable limits and to facts. This widespread and wrathful arraignment of classes and political opponents ought to end. Now is the time to learn the lesson.