Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-19
TROOPS IN CITIES.

Some journal in Chicago has been call
ing for the establishment of a garrison in
that city. This incenses the Chicago
Hercld and it makes the following just
| comments on the matter:
The appeal for a garrison as a menace of
the people is the appeal not of cowardice
| alone, but of treason to the fundamental
ideas of American freedom. It is worse than
silly, for it would raise power which, act
| lively exerted In municipal affairs would
speedily divest cities of all autonomy, and of
all liberty. This country has had more than
enough of the bayonet at the ballot box.
There never has been riot in Chicago which
might not easily have been mastered by q
cool and intelligent head of the municipality
acting through the ordinary conservators of
| the peace. There never was a tumult in the
streets of Chicago so serious as to call for
the Intervention of a standing army. SEN
sational newspapers have at times "streaked
the pale air with blood" but there never has
been and there is no reason for any but
timorous and cowardly citizens to fear that
there ever will be in Chicago legitimate food
for the bullets of garrison of the regular
army.
The man who proposes to keep United
States troops within call in order to prepare
Chicago for what he may regard as a riot is
public enemy. If he cannot trust the peo-
pie of this country and their institutions,
which he appears to be incapable of appre-
ciating, he had better instantly emigrate to
some healthy despotism, and take up his
residence in some garrison town, say of Ire
land or of India.
There is much good sense in these COM
ments, and they should be well needed.
There is tendency throughout the entire
country to call in the military when any
trouble arises. 1t is bad tendency, for
it weakens the sense of responsibility
on the part of State and municipal au-
thorities, and teaches people to rely on
the military instead of themselves. In
republic, of all other forms of govern
ment, should the civil authorities be
wary in their appeal to the strong arm of
the government, and the people should
never place the keeping of their lib
critics in the hands of soldiers.
For them to do so is for them
to endanger those liberties. Ii there
are riots and disturbances in the cities,
let the officers of the cities call on the
citizens to protect life and property and
prevent bloodshed, and any man who
will call in the army to aid him to pre-
serve the peace until every resource of
the civil authority is exhausted is dam
gerous man to entrust with power The
reason why the authorities in many of
the cities of the Union have been unable
to maintain the peace is because they
have catered to the demagogues who
WELD influence among the vicious classes.
What the country needs is the assertion
of more independence on the part of the
citizens, and when political party courts
the favor of the demagogue and forsakes
its true purpose for greed of Office, every
citizen who loves his country should
cease to act with such a party. When
such views as these become universal and
the people conform their actions to them,
then will the entire country have freer,
purer and cheaper government.