New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-04
VI ET 1RNTc.

Whatever may be said of Mr.. Bradlaughs right TO
enter the House of Commons, there can be no aues-
ton of the right of the House of Commons TO keep
him out. All legislative bodies are sole judges of
the qualifications of those claiming seats III them.
direct responsible to nobody for their de-
cisions and can only be held morally guilty of in
justice. Representatives must settle matters with
their constituents, but they are not called upon TO
settle with anybody else Mr. Bradlaugh there
fore when he attempted yesterday break into the
House OF Commons, was TT ated as any other
stranger might be and since he would not stay
out peaceably, he pnt forcibly as the afore-
SAID stranger" would have been. He was no more
III the eye Of the law than trespasser and a very
undigniied tTespasser at that. The difference be-
tween house and lobby is not worth considering
Mr.. Bright as a person religiously opposed to the
use of physical force in vindicaton of the law
might naturally he affected in the more benevolent
parts of his constitution by the spectacle of Mr.
Bradlaugh in a faint condition in the Palace Yard,
with his coat torn bat Mr. Bright was sorry rather
as member of the Society of Friends than
as a member of the House. When Mr. Labouchere
talked about Mr. Bradlaug's right to enter the
lobby he quibbled, and everybody understood that
he quibhled. We hope it will be distinctly under
stood that we are not discussing the propriety of
the action of the House in keeping Mr. Bradlaugh
out OF his seat Our business is with his conduct in
trying to get into it, which hardly be considered
AZ laudabe. 1t is evident that the contest can be
carried on without physical struggle with police
men. Mr.. Bradlaugh agitate, make speeches.
print newspapers, do whatever promises 80 promote
his object of changing the position of the House.
without trying force his way past the ushers The
course which he tit 10 adopt was in the nature
of a rebellion, and, considering that he was on one
side alone and a majority of the members upon the
other, with the police allies, the struggle
necessarily a brief one. He might as
well have confronted regiment of soldiers When
he undertook the little experiment of yesterday he
threw away a considerable portion of the sympathy
with which his position was regarded. The PaU Nal
Gazette friendly newspaper, had already warned
him that the course which he threatened and which
he has now followed would " ruin his position and
bring upon him the rcprobation of rational men
throughout the country" But he would not be adj
vised, and has fallen into grievous an error as
was ever committed by politician" 1t would have
been quite sufficient if Mr. Bradlaugh had merely
offered TO enter and upon being refused admission
had quietly withdrawn. One report, however says
that lie seized the usher 10y the throat thrust him
aside and tried 10 force his way through the line
that lie was full of fight, and contended for every
inch of the ground" In word, he lost his temper
the last thing which, his situation he could afford
to lose.
just at this time nobody seems to have much faith
in moral force promoter of the right or of what
is thought To be right. Assassination is the order
or rather the disorder of the day The Nihiliss can
do nothing but kill. The Irish patriots put their
trust in dynamite. We need only aude TO the crime
which so recently shocked our own Republic If we
go on at this rate the whole civilized world will
soon be off than the island of Corsica in the
old DAYS of the vendetta. We still believe that JUS
tice can be promoted, that liberty can be served.
that bad government can be made better. without
recourse to wholesale murder and that Mr.. Brad
laugh had much better chance of a seat in the
House of Commons before engaging in this memoir
able shindy than he has now.