FINDING OF THE ALIENISTS.
Before coming to this country he had 5 years of the
public schools of his native village in Bavaria, and after arrival in
this country his only schooling was such as he could obtain at night
schools in New York during 3 or 4 years.
Up to this time no peculiarity had been observed in
him, from any evidence available. We note the fact that he was most
especially interested in history and government, as illustrated by
political writings and by the Bible. He speaks frequently of his very
great admiration for the character of George Washington.
At 15 or 16 years of age he became greatly interested
in poetry. This perhaps corresponds to the period of development at
which eccentricities are wont to appear.
He represents that in the saloon in which he worked
he was chiefly engaged in supplying beer to residents of neighboring
tenements; that there was no gambling or other immoral conduct practiced
or encouraged in this business place. He went on for over 12 years as
barkeeper. His uncle and aunt had during this time accumulated means for
the purchase of a small tenement. At the death of the uncle and aunt in
1910 and 1911 the defendant came into possession of this property.
In the last year and a half has not been in any
regular business or employment, and spent his time in long walks about
New York and Brooklyn, during which he meditated upon poetical
compositions, and political and historical questions, jotting down ideas
upon loose slips of paper as they came to him, night or day, forming the
basis of his poems. He spent his evenings in a saloon, retiring early.
The average daily quantity of stimulants or beer taken by him was
insufficient to produce intoxication. He also states that in 1902 and
1903, for a period of nearly 2 years, he drank no intoxicants at all.
He states that in 1901, between 1 and 2 o'clock in
the morning of the day after President McKinley's death he experienced a
vivid dream, in which he appeared to be in a room with many flowers and
a casket, and saw a figure sit up in the casket, which he says was the
form and figure of the assassinated President McKinley, who then pointed
to a corner of the room, and said, "Avenge my death." He then looked
where the finger pointed and saw a form clad in a Monkish garb, and
recognized the form and face of this individual as the form and face of
Theodore Roosevelt.
At the time this made a strong impression, but was
not dwelt upon especially except in the light of later events.
Prior to the nomination of Colonel Roosevelt for the
Presidency in the year 1912, he had felt great interest in the political
campaign, and had read articles expressing great bitterness toward the
idea of a third term, and toward Colonel Roosevelt personally in the
newspapers of New York, and after the period when the nomination of
Colonel Roosevelt began to be actively agitated, meditated more deeply
upon these matters. He had always studied with the greatest interest the
questions of free government, as illustrated by the Declaration of
Independence, and Washington's Farewell Address. In this connection, the
Monroe doctrine also assumed great importance in his mind, and the
converse thereof, the duty of this nation to refrain from war of
conquest; and out of these meditations grew what he elaborated into his
declaration as to the unwritten laws, or "The Four Pillars of our
Republic," namely (1) the Third Term Tradition, (2) the Monroe Doctrine,
(3) that only a Protestant by creed can become president, (4) no wars of
conquest. This document, hereunto annexed as Exhibit 1, fully sets forth
his views on these subjects.
These "four unwritten laws" had assumed in his mind a
character of sacredness. They were "sacred traditions" to be maintained
at all hazards, and, as subsequently appeared, even the hazard of life.
He also said he would be justified to the same extent,
that is, by killing, a man who would seek the presidency and was a Roman
Catholic; and also for a man who would start a war for conquest; and he
thought also of the possibility of foreign powers to help Roosevelt
possibly to annex the Panama Canal and break down the Monroe Doctrine.
He said he believed the country would be facing a civil war if Roosevelt
went on as he had done.
He gives as a reason for his present attack upon
Roosevelt, that he did not wish to give him (Roosevelt) an opportunity
to plead that no defense of the Third Term tradition had been made in
1912 should he aspire to another term in 1916. Asked as to how he
reconciled his act with the commandment "Thou shalt not kill," he
replied that, "religion is the fundamental law of human order, but to
kill to try and do a good thing, and to avenge McKinley's murder,
justifies the killing."
The proof of his position came to him in his dream
and in his vision.
"Roosevelt's ambition and conduct proves to every man
that he was back of McKinley's assassination in some way or other."
The defendant says that he prayed God to find a
leader among men who would take this responsibility, and he expected all
along someone else would do this thing, but no one did it, and as he was
a single man of 36, without a family, and thought the deed was a good
deed, and it made no difference to him, he was willing to sacrifice his
life for that end, even if he were torn to pieces by the mob. He
therefore concluded that it was his mission, and desired to make of this
a test case.
He thinks the election returns corroborate the fact
that the people have been awakened to the idea of no Third Term.
In the progress of the campaign, when the progressive
movement had taken shape, and Colonel Roosevelt had been nominated as
the head of a third party, and on August 7th, 1912, the dream which had
come to him in 1901, as above related, began to assume more importance,
and special significance in his mind. He felt extreme agitation on this
subject continuously. On the morning of September 15th, 1912, the
anniversary of the date of his dream in 1901, having retired as usual
the night before with his manuscript by his bedside, he suddenly
awakened between 1 and 2 A.M., with the completion of a poem entitled
"Be a Man" uppermost in his mind.
We insert the poem at this point:
1. Be a man from early to late
Till you go to bed
Be a man.
2. Is your country in danger
And you are called to
defend
Where the battle is
hottest
And death be the end
Face it and be a man. 3. When you fail in business
And your honor is at stake
When you bury all your
dearest
And your heart would break
Face it and be a man.
4. But when night draws near
And you hear a knock
And a voice should whisper
your
Time is up; Refuse to
answer
As long as you can
Then face it and be a man.
He found his ideas were taking shape, and getting up
he sat writing, when he suddenly became aware of a voice speaking in a
low and sad tone, "Let no murderer occupy the presidential chair for a
third term. Avenge my death!" He felt a light touch upon his left
shoulder, and turning, saw the face of former President McKinley. It
bore a ghostlike aspect. This experience had a decisive effect in fixing
in his mind the iniquity of the third term, and from this time he
questioned as to his duty in the matter, and he finally regarded this
vision and its connection with the exact anniversary of the dream as a
command to kill Roosevelt, and as an inspiration. When asked by us
whether he considered this as imagination or as inspiration and a
command from God, while showing some reluctance to claim the vision as
an inspiration, he finally answered decisively that he did.
On the evening of the shooting Schrank arrived at the
hotel, where he had learned Colonel Roosevelt would stay, in advance of
the time he was expected to start for the place of meeting. When a crowd
began to collect around the automobile awaiting Colonel Roosevelt at the
curb, he went into the street, standing near the automobile in a line
just behind the front seat on the left hand side opposite the
chauffeur's seat. He says,
"Seeing him enter the automobile and just about to
seat himself, I fired. I did not pick any particular spot on his body.
The crowd was all around me and in front of me. The next minute I was
knocked down, but was not rendered insensible, and the gun was knocked
out of my hands."
The defendant insists that he said nothing during his
assault. He was then dragged to the sidewalk, and getting on his feet
was hurried into the hotel, and the doors were locked. Here he said
nothing, and was taken by the police through the back door to police
headquarters.
From the examination at police headquarters, made at
9:25 P.M., October 14, 1912, by the Chief of Police, John T. Janssen, we
find that he objected to telling his name, but did so when it was
insisted upon. We also find that his statements made to the police
concerning his following and attempting to gain access to Colonel
Roosevelt, and his visits to various localities correspond, and his
explanations of his acts agree with those made to us.
Some of his statements to the Chief of Police, are as
follows, as extracted from document submitted herewith, marked Exhibit
3.
Q. Why did you want to meet him?
A. Because I wanted to put him out of
the way. A man that wants a third term has no right to live.
A. I did.
Q. Have you any other reason in wanting
to kill him?
A. I have.
Q. What is that?
A. I had a dream several years ago that
Mr. McKinley appeared to me and he told me that Mr. Roosevelt is
practically his real murderer, and not this here Czolgosz.
*****
Q. Did you know Johann Most when he was
alive?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you ever hear him talk?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you ever hear Emma Goldman?
A. No, sir; I am not an anarchist or
socialist or democrat or republican; I just took up the thing the way I
thought it was best to do.
(It seems worth while to note that the defendant
differs from many assassins of rulers or prospective rulers in having no
anarchistic ideas or connections, but rather that he intended to be an
upholder of established government.)
Q. Where did you get all this idea from?
A. I have been reading history all the
time.
*****
Q. What schooling did you have?
A. Well, I have attended school in the
old country, and I attended night school in New York for about four
winters; that's all the schooling I had.
Q. You haven't a very good education
then?
A. Indeed I ain't.
Q. Have you always enjoyed good health?
A. Yes, sir; I am a healthy sane man,
never been sick.
Q. Well, do you believe that that is a
sane act that you committed this evening?
A. I believe that is my duty as a
citizen to do, it's the duty of every citizen to do so.
Q. Well, how did you happen to get the
idea that it was your duty among all the people that live in the United
States?
A. I don't know, I thought maybe
somebody else might do it before I got there.
A. No, sir; nobody.
While in jail the prisoner prepared a written defense,
which we submit herewith as Exhibit 4, and we extract certain sentences
from the same, as follows:
"Gentlemen of the Jury: When on
September 14th last I had a vision, I looked into the dying eyes of the
late President McKinley, when a voice called me to avenge his death, I
was convinced that my life was coming soon to an end, and I was at once
happy to know that my real mission on this earth was to die for my
country and the cause of Republicanism."
*****
You see that I have appeared here
today without assistance of a counsellor at law, without any assistance
save that of God, the Almighty, who is ever with him who is deserted,
because I am not here to defend myself nor my actions."
We further quote:
The impression we have derived from the demeanor of
the prisoner in our several examinations is that he is truthful in his
statements and shows no desire to conceal anything. He undoubtedly has
an elevated idea of his importance, but is free from bombast. In the
course of his examination when the question of his views or opinions
about himself came up he drew from his pocket the document herewith
submitted as Exhibit 4, which he says he prepared as a defense, saying:
"Perhaps I can help you, Gentlemen." He has shown every disposition to
assist us in arriving at facts. He shows a knowledge and command of the
English language unusual in a foreigner who has only had very limited
schooling. He is self-confident, profoundly self-satisfied; is dignified,
fearless, courteous and kindly. He shows a sense of humor and is
cheerful and calm under circumstances that severely test those qualities.
Beneath all of this is an air which is illustrated by his concluding
sentence, that the spirit of George Washington is before him, that of
McKinley behind him. He gives the impression that he feels himself to be
an instrument in the hands of God, and that he is one of the band of
historic heroes paralleled by such characters as Joan d'Arc and other
saviours of nations. He undoubtedly considers himself a man of heroic
mold. At no time did he express or exhibit remorse for his act.
SUMMARY.
We have limited the scope of our investigations to
the questions that we have been asked to determine and summarize briefly:
John Schrank, age 36 years, single, barkeeper and saloon keeper, and of
limited educational opportunities, with insane heredity (see Exhibit 5),
was born in Bavaria, on March 5, 1876, and came to this country twelve
years later. Apparently he developed normally, but early in life showed
a particular fondness for the study of the histories of this and other
countries, and also for the composition of poetry. In the course of his
studies of history, and especially of the Constitution of the United
States, and of Washington's Farewell Address, he developed the belief
that this Republic is based upon the foundation of four unwritten laws,
to which he also refers as the "Four Sacred Traditions," as is more
fully set forth in the preceding report.
During his examination as to his sanity, he conducts
himself in perfect accord with his beliefs, and expresses a regret at
not having died at the hands of the mob if such a result would have
proven of benefit to his chosen country.
SCHRANK DISCUSSES VISIONS.
(BY JOHN FLAMMANG SCHRANK.)
I would be sorry that my life was spared, so
convinced am I of my act to act as I did, that if I were ever a free man
again I would at once create an order of tradition sole purpose to
defend it.
You gentlemen claim that you would think a man insane,
that could have such things as a vision appear to him. There might be
exceptions, but I disagree with you in making this the rule. Then I
presume you men would declare Joan d'Arc the Maid of Orleans insane
because the Holy Virgin appeared her in a vision. France as a nation
passed in those days through a grave trial, her very existence as a
nation was at stake. To our shame we must admit that while we prosper
and are far from danger we hardly ever give it a thought, that all our
comfort is granted to us by God the Almighty, and it is an old saying
that when the danger is over the saints are mocked. But in days of hard
stress, dire need and want, we at once knew that we are indebted to a
power above us, we at once realize that we are sinners, we feel that our
good spirit is a small particle to the Holy Spirit God that we are
helpless children and related to the good father God. We then pray with
innermost contrition that God may forgive, that God may enlighten one of
us that God may find a leader among us.
And such is the mercy of God that for the repentance
of one man for the acknowledgement for one good deed, God will forgive
the sins of a whole nation. When we read about the destruction of Sodom
Gomorrha, when Lot asked the Lord, wouldst Thou spare these cities if
there were ten honorable and just men within its walls and God answered,
if I could find one honorable and just man I would spare that people.
We may conclude from these words that God had long
before this forsaken them when a nation is confronted with grave trials
it is then nearing the boundary line of God's patience, no doubt the
people of Sodom had arrived there and God had weighed their deeds and
found them too light he would not enlighten one of them to be a leader
and who would impress upon his people to come back to the safe avenue of
God and leave the road of destruction. In our health and prosperity we
are too easily over-confident and self-possessed when we read that God
had appeared to Moses in the shape of a burning thorn bush, then again
as a cloud, we will find many people who doubt the appearance of God to
man in human or other shape. When I see a tree growing out of rocks it
appears to me as if God spoke to me that he wants all people to live a
temperate life as it requires but little to live and proper as is shown
in that tree. Now then does God appear to us in our journey through this
life. Has he ever appeared to you. Has there never been a time when you
would say, O what a lucky dog I was that I did not do this or that. Have
you ever refused for some reason an invitation to a joy ride, a pleasure
trip or others, and after you would find one or the other of your
friends killed while you escaped. Everyone of us is confronted at once
in life with a grave trial which requires all the good in you to
overcome temptation and find the right way out of it, is not this the
secret assistance of God the Almighty when you appeal to Him and He
weighs your deeds and either enlightens you or punishes Science
discoveries. When then in cases of dire national needs should not God
appear to one of us in vision the greatest injustice.
(Schrank's copy is followed closely in all presented
here from his pen.)
RICHARD DEWEY, M. D., Chairman
W. F. BECKER, M. D.
D. W. HARRINGTON, M. D.
FRANK STUDLEY, M. D.
WM. F. WEGGE, M. D.
Commissioners.
This is demonstrated by the fact that he had prepared
a defense to be read to the jury. In this defense he alluded to the fact
that he "is not represented by counsel."
This defense is remarkable in that it shows clearly
the thought which overcame his mental strength.
Schrank's defense is presented as he wrote it, with
the exception of two or three corrections to enable readers to realize
what Schrank is trying to say. The defense was prepared by Schrank in
the county jail. He was writing it when it was reported that he was
writing verse. The defense follows:
Gentlemen of the jury: I appeal to you as men of
honor. I greet you Americans and countrymen and fathers of sons and
daughters. I wish to apologize to the community of Milwaukee for having
caused on October 14 last great excitement, most bitter feeling and
expenses. I wish to apologize to you honorable men of the jury that I am
causing to you this day unpleasantness in asking you to pass a verdict
in a matter which should have better been tried by a higher than earthly
court.
Gentlemen of the jury, when on September 14 last
during a vision I looked into the dying eyes of the late President
McKinley, when a voice called me to avenge his death, I was convinced
that my life was coming soon to an end, and I was at once happy to know
that my real mission on this earth was to die for my country and the
cause of Republicanism.
Gentlemen of the jury, you see that I have appeared
here today without the assistance of a counsellor at law, without any
assistance save that of God the Almighty, who is ever with him who is
deserted, because I am not here to defend myself nor my actions. I am
here today to defend the spirit of forefathers with words what I have
defended with the weapon in my hand, that is the tradition of the four
unwritten laws of this country. Tradition is above written statute,
amended and ineffective. Tradition is sacred and inviolable,
irrevocable. Tradition makes us a distinct nation. Order of tradition.
The law I have violated for which you will punish me is not in any
statute book. Gentlemen of the jury, the shot at Milwaukee, which
created an echo in all parts of the world, was not a shot fired at the
citizen Roosevelt, not a shot at an ex-President, not a shot at the
candidate of a so-called Progressive party, not a shot to influence the
pending election, not a shot to gain for me notoriety. No, it was simply
to once and forever establish the fact that any man who hereafter
aspires to a third presidential term, will do so at the risk of his life.
If I cannot defend tradition I cannot defend the country in case of war.
You may as well send every patriot to prison. It was to establish a
precedent for the third term tradition, which for the first time in the
history of the United States one man dared to challenge and to violate.
Gentlemen of the jury, the third term tradition is
the most sacred, because it has been established by the greatest
champion of liberty in all ages past and to come by our first President,
George Washington, when he modestly declined a third term nomination by
saying that two terms are enough for the best of Presidents. The two
great American political parties have since guarded this tradition most
jealously, have regarded it as a safeguard against the ambitions of
probable adventurers. The great Republican party, the party of an Abe
Lincoln, the party of the new U. S., that party as a medium between
government and the people, the party to which we are greatly indebted
for our achievements and our greatness among the family of nations, it
was that party that was destined to give birth to and to nurse the first
offender of that tradition, who gradually proved to be the evil spirit
of the country, and that great party which was born during a national
crisis and which had bravely faced and overcome many a grave trial,
nobly faced the coming storm and survived it with its honor unimpaired.
Gentlemen of the jury, when we inquire into the past
of that man, we will find that his ambitious plans have all been filed
and laid down long before he has been President. All doubt that these
plans were towards establishing at the least a perpetual presidency in
these United States have been removed during last summer, when a certain
senator unearthed from within the library of the white house a written
document deposited there during the third termer's presidency. This
document was an order for repairing to be done in the white house, and
this order closed with the following words: "These alterations should be
done, to last during my lifetime." When the third termer was informed of
the finding of this document, he admitted and absorbed the all-important
matter by simply saying: "Some people have no more brains than guinea
pigs."
Gentlemen of the jury, his rough rider masquerade
during the Spanish-American war was his first important step towards his
goal, it gained for him the governorship of the Empire state and that
important office made him an influential factor in the councils of the
Republican party. During his term as secretary of the navy he gained the
popularity among the men in that branch of the mailed fist of the
country by increasing the salaries of those men, who might some day be
of vital benefit to his cause. The Republican leaders of those days were
soon aware of the dangerous ambitions of this man and also knew that
this man would never be safe enough to fill the highest office of the
nation, for this reason these men thought it wise to make him vice-Presidential
candidate on the same ticket with McKinley, for it must not be new to
you that the office of a vice-President has always been regarded as the
suicide to a man's political ambitions. But, gentlemen of the jury, now
came the time when a man's ambitions blindfolded him to all reason. The
desire to overcome the obstacle robbed him of his sane judgment, and in
such a case the spoiler invites himself, political murders have occurred
quite often, committed by some power that works in the dark and only too
frequently of late the assassin was classed as an anarchist, but the
real instigators could never be brought before justice. Whoever the
direct murderer of McKinley has been it could never be proven that he
has ever been affiliated with any anarchistic or similar society, but we
may well conclude that the man who in years after so willingly violated
the first unwritten law, which is the third term tradition, may have
readily promised to violate the third unwritten law of the country
whenever he thought it profitable to change his creed while president,
perhaps to the mother of monarchies.
Gentlemen of the jury, a man's first presidential
term begins when he takes the oath of office and constitutes a full term
if it will only last twenty-four hours after oath and a man's third term
is his third when he seeks it or is given to him twenty years or more
after his second. When Roosevelt took the oath of office at McKinley's
departure, he had ceased to be a Republican. He at once began to build a
political machine of his own. It was then in fact that his one man party
so-called Progressive party was born, parts of which we find later in
the insurgents, handicapping Mr. Taft wherever they could. Later in
August at the convention of treason he took the material where and as he
found we see him trying hard to bring the money power of the union into
his service, we find him extorting large sums for his political
campaigns from the so-called despisable trusts, since then we became
accustomed to look upon every man of wealth and the great industrials
corporations who have been and are today of incalculable value and
benefit to our national welfare, as nothing more or less than
contemptible criminals, whom he offended in the most profane language
during his crusade against them, if they refused to become a part of his
machine. At the decline of his second term the remainder of the
Republican party, those who had not been absorbed by "my policies" could
no longer be in doubt as to the third termer's real intentions, and for
the first time the third termer realized the magnitude and importance of
the third term tradition and most men of influence in those used their
power to scare him out of office at the same time comforting him with
the fairy tale that if not succeeded by two consecutive terms another
term would not be a third term but such was his fear that his machine
built up in seven and a half years would be destroyed over night, that
he threatened not to leave the chair unless he were allowed to nominate
his successor.
Gentlemen of the jury, now comes the time when the
third termer committed his second crime against friends, party, nation
and republic. With his innermost conviction that his successor would be
incompetent, incapable and that he would commit so many blunders while
in office that at the expiration of his term the people would
unanimously demand the renomination of the third termer, he thought to
remove that obstacle of the third termer and to make it appear that he
was not ambitious and that a renomination would have to be forced upon
him, he solemnly declared, "Never again will I run for president," but
again ambition had blindfolded him and robbed him of his judgment of men
in selecting William H. Taft as his successor although his most intimate
friend Mr. Taft was aware of his oath of office and his duties toward
the nation, there never was a whiter man in the white house and no one
ever more deserved a re-election as an honor for his services to the
country against the revolutionary machine of the third termer in the
house and senate than William H. Taft.
Gentlemen of the jury, the third term, "never again
will I run for president," has a parallel in the history of Rome.
Whoever read the history of Julius Caesar, knows that this smart
politician, while elected dictator, managed to become so popular with
the people that they offered him the kingly crown, but Julius Caesar
knew that he had to bide his time, that the rest of senators knew of his
ambition, and after refusing three times, he knew they would offer it to
him a fourth time, and when then he accepted it, he was murdered for
ambition sake. Never again will I run for president and under no
circumstances, said this man, and four years later we find him eagerly
seeking renomination at Chicago, to his friends, who advise him to run,
he didn't have the heart to tell that if he were not a man of word he
could never be a man of honor, but what shame lies in between his never
again and his profane declaration that the crooks, thieves, scoundrels
and liars had stolen the nomination from him, although he knew that the
party could not give him what they had a third term not to give for the
great Republican party determined to sooner go down to defeat than to
violate the third term yet.
Gentlemen of the jury, the danger of the third termer
was less in his probable election than in his sure but close defeat. The
man who cried of the theft at Chicago would never submit to the verdict
on November 5, however honest it may be; he would again yell robbery,
and if he carried a solid west as was then expected, he would give way
to his fighting nature and try to take the presidency on the battlefield
and so invite civil war, yet, Ab. Lincoln said that war is hell, and
that he who wilfully invites war deserves death. Do we realize the
horrors of civil war; are we willing to wash out the sin of violating
the third term with the blood of our sons imagine torn from home, family
and parents, from prosperity to dire want in order to place a man to the
presidency he is legitimately not entitled to? Yet, gentlemen of the
jury, the United States may still be able to subdue the rebels the
danger the more grave than even civil war is the possibility of
intervention by foreign powers, who may help the third termer in order
to keep the union disunited and separated for we must know that our
strength is not in our army and navy, money power, our strength is in
our union, we would at once realize that we are surrounded by a pack of
hungry wolves ready to destroy this hated republic, ready to destroy
Monroe doctrine, ready to annex the Panama canal and the great land of
the brave and free, the home many millions free people, the dream of all
heroes and martyrs for political freedom to 1848 would have ceased to be
owing to the ambitions of one man and one man's rule.
I hope that the shot at Milwaukee has awakened the
patriotism of the American nation, that it has opened their eyes to the
real danger and shown them the only safe way out of it as is proven by
election returns in the great Democratic party the north, south, east
and west is once more and more solidly united and proudly can we prove
to the nations of the world that the spirit of 1776 is still alive and
shall never die, and that self-government is an established fact and a
success.
I have been accused of having selected a state where
capital punishment is abolished. I would say that I did not know the
laws of any state I traveled through, it would be ridiculous for me to
fear death after the act, as I expected to die during the act and not
live to tell the story and if I knew that my death would have made the
third term tradition more sacred, I am sorry I could not die for my
country.
Now, honorable men of the jury, I wish to say no
more, in the name of God, go and do your duty, and only countries who
ask admission by popular vote and accept the popular vote never wage a
war of conquest, murder for to steal abolishes opportunity for ambitious
adventurers, for all political adventurers and military leaders have
adopted the career of conquering heroes, wholesale murder, wholesale
robbers called national aggrandizement. Prison for me is like martyrdom
to me, like going to war.
Before me is the spirit of George Washington, behind
me that of McKinley.
CHAPTER XXI.
SCHRANK'S UNWRITTEN LAWS.
The following are John Flammang Schrank's four
unwritten laws, "The Pillars of the Republic," he calls them. They are
presented exactly as written by Schrank, and as incorporated in the
report of the alienists.
BY JOHN FLAMMANG SCHRANK.
We are trying to establish here a system like our
ancestors have done in Europe which all revolutions of a 1,000 years
could not abolish, it would be useless to forcibly remove a third
president because the system would then be established. Are we under no
obligation to the heroes of all wars for freedom and independence, are
we overthrowing our republic while the heroes of the French revolutions
and the martyrs of 1848 gladly gave their lives to establish republican
institutions. May God enlighten the nation, may the spirit of 1776 still
be alive, and when they tell us that there is a Rome on the other side
let them understand that U. S. A. is not Carthage. In this campaign we
may observe that prosperity is as dangerous to our institutions as hard
times are, people are too busy making money, they gradually lose all
interest in politics, unless a third termer tells them that government
is only medium to enrich them still more, how else can we explain his
remark that Mr. Perkins wants his children to live better in this
country after his departure, a millionaire's children can only live
better when the third term party doubles the millions of their father.
In this critical time I find that men have more interest in the baseball
results than to register, think and vote. But of course some people have
no more sense than three guinea pigs. His movement is not progressive,
they are insurgents, insurgents and revolutionary. Hardly any revolution
has started without pretending that their movement was progressive.
The abolition of the third term tradition is the
abolition of the Monroe Doctrine also. In this Doctrine we are
overtaking the guardianship over all republics on the American continent
against Foreign encroachments. Naturally the third termer would prove
too in 1916 that the fourth term is only his second, to do this he would
have to become the conquering hero, we would commit the same faults
France did 100 years ago National aggrandisement, yet France no larger
today than before Napoleon I. The fourth termer could hardly gather
laurels in a European or Asiatic war the natural consequences would that
South America would become the field of his actions. We have upheld the
Monroe Doctrine without the consent of these countries so she could
prevent those nations from inviting a European power to protect them by
declaring that inasmuch as the third term tradition is abolished, the
Monroe Doctrine is no longer binding, because they are more afraid of
the third termer than they would be of any foreign prince. The prudence
of our forefathers has delivered to us an equally sacred unwritten law
which reads that no president should embrace another Creed than
Protestant if possible a sect of the English church. I am a Roman
Catholic. I love my religion but I hate my church, as long as the Roman
parish is not independent from Rome, as long as Catholic priests are
prevented from getting married, as long as Rome is still more engaged in
politics and accumulation of money contrary to the teachings of the
Lord, the Roman Catholic church is not the religion for a president of
the United States. The separation of state from church in France has
sufficiently proved that Rome and republic are enemies.
The fourth unwritten law which is practically
supplementary to the second we find in George Washington's farewell
address where he advises us to live in peace with your neighbor. We have
no right to start a war of conquest with any nation and our relations to
the South American republic can be improved if we remove their fear of a
steady conquest by us by observing this law. Does it not look ridiculous
that established governments in this enlightened age sends thousands of
unfortunates to prison as punishment for murdering, for to steal and rob,
while these same nations are armed with all descriptable weapons like so
many bandits ever ready to jump at each other's throat. What else is war
but murder for to rob that which belongs to others. Since men have
learned to work they have no more right to war. The salvation of the
human family must be worked out by international Commercialism the
sooner all industrial establishments of the world unite like in the days
of the Hansa can the social questions be solved. International
Commercialism must have individual legislation and jurisdiction,
independent from national legislation, but must be acknowledged by all
states and the United States is the only power ruled by commercialism
without a mailed fiat and will be the first to recognize International
Commercialism for this alone will abolish and distribute wealth more
fair and just, and work to a higher state of civilization.
JOHN SCHRANK.
CHAPTER XXII.
UNUSUAL COURT PRECEDENT.
Judge August C. Backus' method of conducting the
Schrank case has established a precedent for such cases, and the action
of the court in establishing a new form of procedure has met with
favorable comment on the part of lawyers, alienists, court officials and
editors all over the world.
Instructing the commission of five alienists in its
duties Judge Backus said:
Gentlemen of the Commission:
"The court in this proceeding will finally determine
the issue. I have decided to take this method of procedure instead of a
jury trial, because as a rule in trials by jury the case resolves itself
into a battle of medical experts, and in my experience I have never
witnessed a case where the testimony of the experts on one side was not
directly contradicted by the testimony of as many or more experts on the
other side. Where men especially trained in mental and nervous diseases
disagree, how can it be expected that a jury of twelve laymen should
agree? Such testimony has been very unsatisfactory to the jury and to
the court, and generally very expensive to the community.
"Bear in mind, gentlemen, that your appointment has
not been suggested by either counsel for the state or for the defendant,
or by any other party or, source directly or indirectly interested in
this inquisition. You are the court's commission, and you must enter
upon your duties free from any bias or prejudice, if any there be. You
should assume your duties, and I know you will, with the highest motives
in seeking the truth, and then pronounce your judgment without regard to
the effect it may have upon the state or upon the defendant; in other
words, in your inquiry and deliberation you are placed on the same plane
as the judge.
"If any person seeks to influence you or talks to you
as a commission, or to any member of the commission, who is not duly
requested to appear before you, report him to the court so that an order
to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt may issue.
"If there be any witnesses you desire, the court will
command their attendance. The court will grant you the services of a
phonographic reporter so that everything that is said and done may
appear of record.
"This commission may now retire, select a moderator
and proceed with the inquiry.
"Now, gentlemen, perform your duties fairly and
impartially and render such findings to the court as your consciences
and your judgments approve.
"The question for your determination is, 'Is the
defendant John Schrank sane or insane at the present time?'"
*****
Editorial comment from three newspapers is herewith
presented as showing the general trend of comment on the course followed
by Judge Backus:
The Milwaukee Free Press said:
The Chicago Record-Herald said:
The Saturday Night of Toronto, Ont., said:
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