Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-11
PRESERVATION on LIBERTY.

A FEW days since an incident ns'o-
cia,si with recent Congressional logis'
lation for Utah suggested some TO
marks from ~ ON the necessity Of
eternal vigilance on the part of the
people for the preservation u their
liberties. To b. ON the alert 10 nip
every cncroachmcnt Of popular rights
In the bud Il duty which every clii-
ron owes 10 himself his country aud
humanity AZ large. Not an atom Of
that freedom guaranteed under the
Constitution should he suplncly SUR
rendered. ON the contrary every e.
fort 10 take It away ought TO be no
sisted. Those who 10 not take this
stand are not ffocmen nor patriots In
the true sense. The great danger Is, In
these times, that the invasions Of
human rights ap 70 numerous that
tho people arc liable 10 become
Indifferent 10 the danger Of being
overwhelmed with tyranny. They
may becom, - familiar with
the impositions rs TO take them rs a
matter ~ course. When this Il the
case II IL but n questlon Of time until
they shall bc completely bound with
the shaclsles OF despotism.
On this subject IIcrbcrt Spencer
presents the following splendid argu'
mcnt
lastly, tho supremacy Of this same
faculty lthc faculty responding TO the
law Of equal frcedom--tho moral scn-cl
affords the only guarantee Tor the sta
hility ola democracy. on the part Of
tho people Il gives rise To what W. Gala
jealousy Of their llbertles-a watohful do.
termination Ia resist anything like en-
croachmcnt upon their rights, while II
generates among those In power such a
respect for these rights as checks any
desire they may have to aggress.
Conversely, lot the ruled be- deficient In
the instinct Of freedom, and thoy will be-
indifferent 10 tho gradual usurpatlon Of
their privileges N long as II entails no i'm
mediate Inconvenience upon thomi aud
the rulers In such ease, bciug deficient In
sympathetic regard for these privileges,
will bc to like extent interruptions Ia
nsurplng. Lot ~ observe. In detail, the
different modes In which mon thus con
tradistinguished comport themselves un.
der representative form OF government.
Amongs people not yet fitted for such
q form, ciuten-, lacking tho impulse To
claim equal power with each other, bo-
come careless. Ia tho exercise of their
franchise, doubt whether ltis OF any uso
10 thom, aud even pride themselves on
not Interfering In public aff,lrs. Pro-
vldod thoIr liberties nro hut indirectly
Affected. they will watch tho passing OF
the most insidious measures with vacant
unconcorn. II Il only barcfacod nggres.
slons that they eau porccivc to he aggrcs.
slons 1t NIL. Placing, nv they do, hut
littlo value upon their privileges, they
nro readily brlbod. When threatened,
instead % assuming that attitude OF dog
god resistance which tho instinc, OF frco-
dom dictates, They irucklo. Mean.
WHILE In accordance with that law Of
social homogcnoity lately dwolt upon,
those In authority AFRO mi like u,iio ready
to oneroach. They intimdaio, they
brlhe, they plot, and by degrees establish
q comparatively coorciyo govornmonL
ON tho other hand, amongst people
sufficiently endowed with tho faculty
responding 10 the law Of equal freedom,
no such rutrogado process /, possible.
Tho nian Of genuinely democratic feeling
l1yes liberty "a, a misor love. gold, for liz
own sake, and quito irrespective Of it, adj
ynntagos. What lao thus highly values,
he slooplossly watehcsi ho quickly detects
any altompt az dlmnution Of II; and he 90.
poses aggression tho moment II com.
monces. should any a,suec undue pro.
rugntlyvs, he slmlghlway stops up Ia
them and demands their authority Tor 40
doing. Transactions that seem In the 70.
hottest degree underhnnd awaken hi.
suspicious, witch arc not to be- laid 80
long a. anything romain. unexplained.
lilo scents out abuse with instructive
sagaci'y' and having found one meyer
rests until 10 rs abolished II In any pro.
posed arrangement there he a latent dan.
gor In the liberties u himself and othors
ANY germ Of irresponsible powor-he
instantly discovers il, aud refuses nj,
consent. r,,.tt
ever ON tho watch to oxtlrpale inelplent