New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-22
GUNS.

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GUNS.
There are very few things in this life 80
thoroughly enjoyable as guns. Quite naturally
ehe frat thing that occurs TO the reflective
person who has just encountered great sue
cess, whether j, be an election 70 the R99aI5
of Aldermen Or the Disappearance of his
| mother-i law, is TO fire hundred guns We
fire them, or have them fred upon all 0ccs-
sions. Especially do we fire them when We
have carried an election. The gentlemen to
whom we are indebted for the smooth run
ming Of our political machinery, and who give
all their time and talents TO the selection OF
our rulers and officials, have the weakness for
guns developed to an unusual degree. When
ever they save tho country, or stay the
tide of corruption, or have great
reaction or tidal wave or any such political
phenomenon, they go at once for gun.
Nothing in this world can convey an adequate
idea of their joy but brass cannon. To get
blind drunk affords them some relief but that
ia not so pervasvc an expression of delight as
to fire o hundred guns and scare az many
horses. That sort of thing is felt more widely
than a mere individual drunk. which must OF
necessity be limited in its SCOPE and inilu-
ence. For sincere joy there's nothing Ike
guns. Over q political victory there 3 no SUBJ
stiluto for guns. They not only soothe and
comfort the victorious party, but they infuriatc
the defeated, which. after all, il the great
end of politics and political contests.
1t is not always easy to discover what the
guns are fired for particularly if they are fired
in the City Hall Park, but it is always safe to
say that they Indicate that something has
happened which somebody feels good about
Yesterday, before they began to touch of the
iublant cannon in the Park, the gunners did
The handsome thing by an inquiring commu-
nifty, and set up strip OF canvas bearing the
explanatory legend. "The Democracy OF New
York greets Ohio on their victory over
debauchcd and corrupt National Administra-
"tion.p There's grammatical confusion
about the statement that exposes 1t to
tho ieers of the unsympathetlc, but
We are only too thankful for the
exclamation without criticising. verbal inaccu-
racies. The average politician subordlnatcs
grammatical accuracy to force and fuliness OIL
EXPRESSION. This inscription informed the
wayfaling man what The guns with all their
energy and earnestncss we're unable tO--that
! the explosions were the greetings of the
:. Democracy of New-York" to Ohio, and that
tbe occasion was the victory" Of-well,
then the statement is trie mixed. but 1t
is clearly somebody's victory, either that OF
"Ohiop or "the Democracy of New-York -
"oyer a debauched and corrupt National Ad-
ministratiOn."
The people who loaded and touched oil the
gun seemed to take a good deal OF solid
comfort in it. They didn't seem to hit any
thing with the gun; In fact, they didn't aim
at anything; but they put i'll the powder and
rammed it down, and then fired it off and
made lots and lots of nOise--a great deal
more noise than the speakers at conventions
and political meetings make, and it was just
as well aimed and as well understood. And
vet no doubt there were people going through
the Park yesterday during the performance
with so little conception of the uses of
the gun, and such utter lack Of cOmpre-
henson Of the issues involved in our politics,
as to say the whole thing was nuisance.
Some, no doubt, would say the National Ad-
ministration il not debauched and corrupt,
and more would deny there had been VIC
tory over il. Very stupid persons would
nuzzle over the legend and say unkind things
about debauchng and corrupting the English
grammar and the mother tongue; and we do
not doubt there are people so utterly lost to
all sense of shame as TO ask If this " Now
" York Democracy ~ which delighted by means
of Guns over the defeat of " debauched and
" corrrlpt National Administration was the
same that governed NewYOrk City year OF
two ago and elected some Judges and things.
All of which would be stupid aud disagreed
HE. but could not cOunteract the effect OF the
guns or disturb the serenity of tho able and
honest persons who paid for the powder and
hired the gunners, and in this patriotic and
satisfactory manner sent their greetings" TO
"Ohio.n Those gentlemen either stood around
the Park and listened calmly to the guns OF
in some neighboring saloon imbibed gin and
water TO the confusion of "debauched and
corrupt National Administration" When
those gentlemen gain victory nothing serves
them TO wreak their enthusiasm upon ex-
preston, but guns. Let us be thankful for
guns. And if the language gets hard treat
ment in the course of the demonstration, so
much the worse for the language. We can do
without language, never without guns.
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The SENTIMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY