Law Must Punish Actions, Not Thoughts
A PARIS dispatch of recent date states that the French papers regard President Roosevelt's recent utterances regarding anarchists as “a dangerous precedent, which may lead to many arbitrary discriminations against minorities.” M. Zola, the famous author, says: “Have the Americans no philosophers to point out to them that a doctrine must not be confused with crazy misinterpretations thereof — no statesman brave enough to face the multitude's foolish cries? no clamor that, while you may legislate against facts, you may not legislate against free thought or personal convictions? To-day they debar anarchists. To-morrow religious people will as justly seek legislation against atheists, Christians against Hebrews, capitalists against proletarians demanding their rights.” The province of the law is to punish evil actions, not evil thoughts. Otherwise liberty cannot exist.