The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-06-19

1t would of course be happy state
of affairs If, when things go wreng, ag-
gr-ssors anu aggrieved could get to-
gether, calmly reason and compromise
IN spirit of justice. But that blssfsl
era has never yet dawned upon the
world, and, doubtless, never will. An
attempt to administer justice without a
reserve of physical force, to maintain q
decHee, If necessary. would be quite alb
surd. A law without q penalty is in
operative. Hence the wisdom of the
theory that the majority should rule.
In the United States il has been dem
onstrated thar the people are quite ca
pable Of self-government. The ma
jority may at times appear to be going
at o reckless pace toward destruction,
but, ON summing up the results of a
centurys experiment and experience, il
is found that this is, after all, the very
best Government ON the earth. 1t is,
however, fact that, at times bad men
get to the front; that, somehow. the
elections do not place the best candi-
dates IN the administrative positions
that the taxes increase; that ia legisla-
ton the individual is overlooked and
the corporation made stronger; that
the police grow blind and villains thrive.
The impression is vaguely made that
the majority is vicious. But it is a
wrong impression. The majority Is
not vicious. 1t may forget at times,
aud grow SO absorbed In personal at
fairs as to become Indifferent to the
welfare of the body polite and calmly
forego the work of overthrowing It's
oppressors. But waitl Suddenly the
conviction flashes through the mind OF
the majority that it is growing helpless.
1t realizes that it is Knocked at, and
bantered. It finds the laws it has made,
or allowed to be made, are twisted into
cords to bind its own will. 1t finds It's
confidence abused. What does it do !
Whatever it does, it certainly does not
wait. 1t wrecks, and wrecks at once.
Such wrecking was seen in Cincinnati
some time ago. 1t was not a new thing
In this country.
The lesson of the hour is for the ras-
Gals to read. 1t is this: la all your
schemes to rob the people or to defeat
their purposes, do not make them feel
they are growing helplessl Delude. il
you will, but use every possible effort
to maintain the delusion. Never laugh
at the people nor taunt them with i'm
potence. The majority of the inhabit-
ants of any given community, barring
the penitentiaries, are honest people.
They may give you tether and rein now
and then, but do not openly claim the
mastery. There is nothing so terrible,
so destructive, and, at times, so incon-
siderate as the wrath of a community
OF liberty-loving voters.
The whisky dealers could long ago
have checked the prohibition move
ment, which is gathering strength every
year, if they had chosen to cheerfully
obey the laws. 1t is doubtful if there
is q majority of prohibitionists-on the
plain issue of the morality of liquor
drinking-in any State; but when the
operation of certain laws, in any State,
made to regulate the traffic,is annulled,
simply because it may not be the pleas
ure of the liquor-sellers to obey, then
prohibitionists spring up thicker than
bees in a clover-field. The corpora
tions which control certain staple sup
plies, essential to the comfort and we'll
being of tho people, can move on with
out disturbance if they show decent
regard for the interests of their GUS
toners from whom they receive their
franchises. The people at large do not
object to large individual wealth, per
sc, acquired by the members of the
corporations. But when these corpo-
rations dare to show. disposition to
extort, or to compel, or to override, or
to turn the deaf ear, or to drown COM
plants in the jingle of purses, they dc
so at their peril. The people are very
much disposed to play fairly, but when
they find the game is not fairly con-
Quoted, they will use means to restore
fairness, which, if desperate, are never
theless effective.
The people have q dead-line.
AS the lesson of the hour is thus per-
ceived to be that the rascals are only
secure so long as the people are not
made aware of their helplessness, il
follows that the country is pretty safe,
and that those who have invested in the
bonds of the Government need have nc
fear but that the interest will be regu-
larry paid. This is fair deduction
for the reason that scoundrels lnvaria-
bly, overdo themselves and the people
then come to the rescue. Lynch law
is not always an expression of the popu-
lar will; but sometimes it is, and when
it is-as it is sure to be on occasions
when the very life of the Government
is threatened-it is an indication of q
general sentiment that the majority
must, according to the theory of the
fathers, rule. Lynch law, it may be
said, in order to prevent misconception,
does not always take the form of mid
night hangings or needless destruction
of property. 1t crops out in Other
ways quite as often, sometimes through
Congressional enactments; sometimes
through precedent-ignoring Judge
Il. G. Matthews. ifl the Current.
Is the English Sparrow Nuisance!
The English sparrow was introduced
into this country about twelve years