The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-11-02
TOO EASY GOING

The observations OF MI. Herbert Spen-
Ger about our country ought TO and IN
doubtedly will attract considerable at
thinkers of the time. One OF these oh
servaiions is that Americans are grad
ually losing their freedom because OF
their willingness TO tolerate small inter
ferences with personal rights. The in
ference is that these small interferences
will lead TO an aggregate assumption Of
the rights OF the people by the ruling
classes which will trouble US greatly if
it does not destroy our institutions. He
thinks the English beat US as grumblers,
and il is undoubtedly true that their per
sistent grumbling relieves them from
u vast amount Of petty annoyance which
Americans put up with as a IN after OF
course. at is this easy going readiness -
says Mr.. Spencer, "tO permit small tres
passes, because il would be troublesome
or profitless or unpopular 10 oppose,
which leads to the habit of acquiescence
In wrong, and the decay OF free insiitu.
tons"
On Mr.. Spencer's' criticism the New
York Tribune remarks that whether or
not We take so serious view of the III
innate consequences of this trait of Am
erican character as Mr.. Spencer does,
we must all admit that the trait exists
and that he has defined il with remark
| able exactness. p"
We quote further from the Tribune
"Mr. Spencer says this trait of char
acter Is working the decay of our free
institutions. Is not there some truth in
this? What Is it which has furnished
the most comfort to the pessimists who
are sure this Republic is growing worse
each year and that its final collapse is
inevitable2 They all find it in the fact
that the best class OF Americans take
less interest in public affairs each year,
leaving the venal aud unprincipled to
direct our politics. AS in mere personal
matters so in politics, we stand off and
say: We'll, why make row about iii
To be sure politics are in pretty bad
way, but we cannot make them any bet
ter by meddling with them 1t is just
here that the mistake is made, or rather
has been made, for il is our firm cOnvic-
tiOn that the better class Of Americans
are beginning To think that the time has
come to make a row, and that it will do
IL great deal of good to make 1t. When
ever they have aroused themselves here,
toiore, they have had no difficulty
in demonstrating their power. The
honest men. are in the majority
We think Mr.. Spencer is right in his
assertion so far as he implies that the
willingness to tolerate Infringement
upon our personal rights has led us, IN
consciously but none the less surely, u
u willingness to tolerate infringements
upon our political rights. Beyond that
we arc unwilling to go with HIM. We
admit that we have submitted to this in
fringemenl, and do submit to it now
but We do not believe the ultimate re.
suit will be the decay of free institu
tiOns, because VIC are convinced that the
people will sooner or later arise in theiI
righteous indignation and reclaim and
reestablish their lost rights. The Amer
lean people do not grumble enough ovel
small trespasses,' perhaps, but they arr
very quick To rise in their might wheI
those trespasses assume dimension!
which make them dangerous to free in
situations. Undoubtedly it would bC
wiser to begin with the small trespasses
and thus prevent the large ones from ex
isting."