The Press., 1883-11-08

Thursday March 29th, the Wyndham Am ateur Comedy, in "The Streets of New York. $1.5O for the course, including re- served seat.
 -,..
 October Century,
 LAW AND ORDER LEAGUES.
 As population increases and civilization becomes more complex, 1t is evident that large amount of volunteer work must be done in the administration of government It will be necessary for good citizens not only to attend the primary meetings and to vote intelligently at the elections, but also to assist, by various methods, in the execu- tion of the laws. This, indeed, seems at present to be the weak point in our politi- cal machinery. The inefficiency of the po- lice and the prosecuting officers, and the fatal uncertainty of trial by jury, render our laws, in many cases, imperative. There are. good laws, not & few, in every community, that are approved by the nu- merical majority of the voters and by the great mass of those who represent it's prop erty and its intelligence class that ought to rule,-and yet are set at naught continually by the vicious and disorderly classes. The reasons are not remote. The disorderly classes are always bringing a powerful pressure to bear upon the officers of the law, to restrain them from enforcing it's penal provisions they control many votes, and they always make their political influence count for all it is worth. These classes constitute a positive, aggressive, implacable element in our politics they know who are their friends, and they never fail to punish their enemies.
 The intelligent, virtuous, well-to-do citi- zens on the other side are not at all aggres- sive. Some are too busy, and some too fastidious, to take any active interest in the administration of the government. If they vote on election day for such candi- dates as the leaders of the caucus provide, they think they have discharged to the full their obligation as good citizens if they go so far as to attend the primary meeting and register an intellectual protest against the devices of the machinists, they count that a work of supererogation de- gree of patriotism to which only the elect ever attain. Of course, great of promis- cuous grumbling and deploring is done be- tween elections by these prosperous and virtuous citizens :; but very few of them ever attempt to influence the administra- tion of government. The work of execu- ting the laws belongs, they say, to the of- fcers of the law.
 Accordingly, we have on the side of dis order and lawlessness positive and stren- uous force, always pressing against the authorities influence that makes itself felt and feared every day in the year. On the side of law and order we have plenty of good sentiment, but no force that is or ganized or concentrated, and practically, very little effective pressure is brought to bear upon the people who are responsible for the execution of the laws. And who are these people who thus stand between this determined band of breakers, and this numerous but negligent company of reputable citizens? It is not necessary to make any sweeping assertions about them |; 1t is enough to say that the men who hold the offices are, as a rule, men who want win promotion, who have a profound re- spect for anyone who can influence votes, and who wish, therefore, to have as little controversy as possible with the rum-sel- CTS and the gamblers and the keepers of vile houses. The conduct of the average town or city official, under such circum- stances, can be easily predicted; he will yield to the more aggressive force he will move in the direction of least resistance.
 It begins to be evident that the law abiding classes must oppose to the pres sure of the law-breakers an influence in favor of the execution of the laws not less positive and strenuous. Doubtless, the first thing to be done is to secure, wherever that is possible, a higher grade of officers j; but that is not enough. These officers, at best, will be human and it is too much to expect that they will do their whole duty when the powers of iniquity are loud and instant, and the powers of righteousness are irresolute or indifferent. It is due to them that they should be constantly braced and invigorated by being brought in contact with the moral forces of the to make them afraid to enforce the lows, will show them that it is for their interest to neglect their duty good citizens must make them afraid not to enforce the laws, must show them that it is for their interest to do their duty. The problem of bring ing steady and constant pressure of moral influence to bear upon the men who are responsible for the execution of the laws is the problem to be solved.
 There is no lack of right sentiment in our communities all that is necessary is that it should be organized and directed, thatit should find voice. Public senti- ment, like every other force, must be con- centrated that it may be effective. There IS enough indignation against lawlessness difused through the community to form an irresistible motive power for the en- forcement of law, if 1t could only be gath cred up and could have adequate expres- sion. For this purpose, Law-and- Order Leagues have sprung into existence of late in many communities, east and west, and the results already reached are extremely encouraging. cs
 Some of these leagues take into their own hands the work of prosecuting offend CTS, employing attorneys and detectives for this purpose, and pushing cases through the courts. What has thus been done in New York, with the assistance or in spite of the police and the excise commission CTS, is well known 1; and, the leagues in Boston and in Chicago have been even more successful. Probably this method is the only one that can be successfully em- pluyed in the larger cities; but there is