many social evils
lies in the murder of certain personages of high standing, who appear to
bear the greatest share of responsibility for the existing system, do
not hesitate to have recourse to violence when they deem it necessary;
although it is distasteful to them and although they have hitherto
disassociated themselves from the excesses of their companions. The
anarchists Caserio and Bresci were of this type. The crimes of these
passionate criminals are always accomplished single-handed; they always
surrender to the police immediately afterwards and make no attempt to
defend themselves. On the contrary, when in court, they frequently give
a lucid explanation of the motives that have induced them to commit
their crimes and affront the penalty with stoicism.

Such being the origin, and such the promoters of anarchism, it is
evident that the methods for curing crimes deriving from this source
should differ greatly from those used in suppressing ordinary crime.

In spite of the fact that anarchists are frequently criminals, their
ideas, although often absurd, imply a greater elevation of character
than the cynical apathy in which the worst types of criminals are sunk.

Instead of combating violence by violence and dealing out death
sentences with a prodigality almost rivalling that of anarchists
themselves, the authorities should segregate the most dangerous types or
relegate them to distant islands, and adopt exile as a penalty for
genuine criminals of passion. However, political liberty and some
safety-valve, whereby lawless instincts may be turned into harmless
channels, are the best methods for preventing anarchism. Constitutional
government and freedom of speech and the press may go a long way towards
combating anarchism; but the restoration of popular tribunates, like
those to which Rome owed her balance and tranquillity, would be still
more efficacious. If the governing bodies were to favour, instead of
hindering, the formation of such institutions, which tend to spring up
everywhere and to voice the grievances of the people, just causes would
not be abandoned exclusively to the advocacy of extremists.

X

_Lectures on Legal Medicine_ (_Lezioni di Medicina Legale_)

This book, as the preface explains, was an attempt to present in a
concise and popular form the theories of criminal anthropologists, on
which the author had previously delivered a series of university
lectures, and which he feared might have b