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THE ASSASSINATION AND ITS PROBABLE RESULTS

It is difficult to account for the peculiar operation of the brain of the anarchist who shot the noble President of this nation,—William McKinley. What could he, or the class he is supposed to have represented in the act, hope to gain by such an act? What motive of any kind could inspire such a deed? It is most charitable to view the assassin and his accomplices as mentally unbalanced to a greater degree than are the majority of the human family; so that to their view the essential of peace and blessing is less law: whereas those who are directed by the Word of the Lord know that the world needs yet more stringent laws for the correction of evil-doers. How blessed the assurances of the Scriptures that the great reign of righteousness—law and grace—is near at hand. That the Millennial Kingdom will not only effectually restrain such unbalanced creatures, but by restitution processes will lift them up toward soundness and righteousness.

A cypher letter has just been found and interpreted. It announces that the anarchists have plotted the assassination of President Roosevelt, Senator Hanna, the governors of all the States and the financial princes—J. D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan and C. M. Schwab. It seems difficult to suppose that the anarchists hope to terrorize the people so that no one would accept office. Do they not know that there are several millions of men anxious for a chance at these offices and willing to brave every risk? Anarchists are comparatively few in these days of prosperity: not in prosperous times,—not until “trouble like a gloomy cloud” shall have gathered world-wide and shut out the light of hope, need we fear that the insanity of anarchy will prevail to the extent predicted in the Scriptures—the overthrow of the entire social fabric.

We see no special significance in the assassin’s deed as respects the peculiar times in which we are living—the “harvest”—except that it will probably lead to stringent repressive laws against anarchists. Such we would approve, but opine that a restriction of liberty in this approved direction might soon lead to an abuse of power and a restraint of proper liberties;—an attempt to restrain any and everything not favored by general public sentiment. For instance WATCH TOWER publications have thousands of enemies who would not hesitate to misrepresent its teachings as anarchistic, and in doing so think they did God service;—after the example of Saul of Tarsus. We are expecting some such violent interruption of the “harvest” work within a few years now; but will conclude then that “the door is shut.” Meantime let us each and all “labor while it is called day; for the night cometh wherein no man can work.”

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— October 1, 1901 —