Morning journal and courier., 1886-04-19

IS essential, not only that there be no interfer- erence with the liberty of the individual on the part of society the government, be- yond what is absolutely essential to the gen eral safety and prosperity, but also that there shall be no interference whatever, except in prescribed methods and under careful strictions which secure to the individu al ev cry opportunity to justify himself, and every possible guaranty of justice and fairness. We are far more indebted for our freedom than we are apt to realize, to tho intricate and complicated system of constitutional pro- visions, legislative enactments, judicial rules of procedure, and cheeks here, there, and everywhere which render it impossible to in- terfere with the liberty of the humblest citi- zen, or even of the most outrageous offender, except under system wsll-designed to pre- vent njustiee,-a system which has had pended upon it the best thought of multi tude uf the wisest statesmen and legislators and jurists, and has slowly grown up and been perfected by the experience of centu ries. The abolition of this system means the utter destruction of liberty. There has never been government, even the most despotic, which has not had, and to a large extent used, some such system. In country in which a single man enthroned as monarch, or body of men, whether of nobles sitting in their star-chamber, or priests in con- clave, or laborers in some society | hall, could issue decrees affecting life and property without check of constitu-
 
 forms of trial and without responsibility, life would not be worth living.
 And thirdly, the only real guaranty of lib erty is right character in the people; for without this all other guarantees will fail There must be in the people genuine love of freedom. an intelligent appreciation of it's value, and of the fact that it is attainable only by mutual compromise and concession between different interests, iberality of l mind which is willing to make some conces- sions and does not selfshly insist upon sele- supremacy of personal interests, virtuous- ness which renders strong government un- necessary and kindly and friendly feeling toward all It is for this reason that Christi anity has done much for liberty and IS it's strongest support, that it breathes spirit and produces character which is favorable to liberty. Fierce denunciations and dia- tribes and shots and dynamite bombs have been hurled against tyrants and despotic governments; but after all the real difficulty lies, and the only remedy for despotism is to
 be found, in the people. A people capable and worthy of freedom is not long going to submit to the rule of tyrant. A people that has not the character and spirit, which only secure liberty, is not long going to be free.
 There cau be no doubt that the present
 dissatisfaction of what are called "the labor
 ing classes" has good deal of justification.
 Largely, indeed, it proceeds less from actual
 suffering than from visionary political and
 social ideas imported from Europe; for has
 it not been the common boast that, owing to
 the wealth and enterprise of our new country,
 and, as many think, to system of pro
 lection, workingmen in this country are
 better off than in any ether country in the
 world. One needs but to walk through our
 streets, lined for miles with the comfortable
 homes of artisans, to be convinced that the
 cause of the existing dissatisfaction is theo retical rather than actual suffering. Still,
 q hi iI19t (af mi
 There are instances, too numerous, of cruel
 ty on the part of employers. There are oc-
 cupations inwhich the labor is unwarrantably
 severe, and the pay absuIdly and cruelty in-
 sufficient. There are cases of great suffering
 of individuals and communities. There are
 restraints and limitations which unquestion-
 ably ought to be put upon the power of cor
 porations and of capital. The public is not
 ignorant of or indifferent to these things.
 And with all honest and earnest efforts of
 labor to bring the facts to public notice, to
 combine in voluntary and free organizations
 for mutual helpfulness and the general welfare
 to study the difficult problems of political
 economy and of government, involved suggest
 and carry out, by peaceful and lawful measures
 and by the methods provided by our form of
 government, plans for better adjustment
 of things, the people generally have large
 sympathy and cordial agreement. There is
 no hostility or coldness toward poor and
 hard working people in society at large or in
 any considerable class in the community
 least of all is there any in the church or min
 istry, much as has been said to the contrary.
 Christianity is untrue to it's divine mission
 if it is not chiefly interested in the poor.
 But when an association is formed of men
 who have entirely resigned their personal
 liberty to it md bound themselves to obey it's behests, which says to it's members "You shall work when and where and for what
 wages we say and not otherwise" and to others, "You shall join us and obey us or
 you shall not work at all," and to others,
 You shall neither join us nor have any
 work, but you shall starve and your wives
 and children with you," and which requires employers to hire those only whom it selects
 and to pay them what it decrees and to show
 their books upon its demand; and which
 says to others, "You shall neither buy nor
 sell except as we give you permission" and
 when all this is done without regard to law or constitution, without form of trial, with out any check whatever, simply by the de- in council of irresponsible and unknown men, the public begin to ask
 whether this is not power as much more arbitrary and despotic than that of the Elm
 peror of Russia or that of the oligarchy of Venice, or that of the Papaey in the palmy
 days of the Jesuits, or the Inquisition, as
 these have been more arbitrary than own
 free government. And they begin to ask where this thing is likely to stop, and wheth- CT the tyranny now exercised ill respect to certain things is not likely to extend to other
 things and whether it is indeed true that
 there is to be no more personal liberty.
 America is an unhealthy place for such an institution. In this grand old country planted by exiles for liberty, watered with the blood of men who in multitudss have died for liberty, & country which within the memory of most of us has expended thou sands of millions of money and millions of lives in 8 struggle for liberty, there isn't room, large as the country is, for such 8 tyranny. America is a great country and our people are a strong and patient people, Thus far the nation has borne this kind of thing patiently and with some amusement, like sleepy. lion yawningly watching the ar rows shot at him by savages. But if the na- tion does at last become convinced that this l is something serious and is not merely passing folly or frenzy, if it does awake in | wrath it will make short work with this l tyranny. It would be well for every man who is engaged in this plot against | liberty to realize that he is em- 1 parked in very serious business, and to | too, that even if the undertaking to which | he is lending his ceuntenance could by any | possibility be successful, that success means | slavery.
 cannot believe that the more intelligent | and industrious of the workingmen them | ordered into and out of their shops as if | they were slaves, at seeing their hard earned | savings melting away while they stand in | enforced idleness, at being sacrificed to the | most worthless of their fellow workmen and l being made the dupes, or at | least the tools, of rats from | the foulest sewers of Europe. And what l has any man to expect from a power which, | even in its infancy, compels him to act ac- cording to it's bidding, but that when it has reached it's maturity, it will make g perfect | slave of him, soal and body. In surrender 1 ing themselves to the control of any organi- l zation, men surrender their liberty, sell their | manhood. Could there be more degrading | servitude than that of the Jesuits2I know that | many do it from no selfish motives, but l rather against their interests, in the hope of | securing freedom and prosperity for the class to which they belong. But oh, freedom has not yet been won by men who sell themselves into slavery. It is won by men who have the spirit of liberty, who stand on their inde- pendence, who dare to resist the encroach- ments of tyranny. Liberty for the people is not to be obtained by the adoption of vision ary schemes and often exploded fallacies of political dreams, or by blind subserviencs to blind and reckless and interruptions dena- gogues, or by the reckless use of the bomb, the bayonet and the torch. Ruin may thus come but not liberty. That is to he secured by the maintenance of the spirit of freedom, l