New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-04
THE EXCISE QUESTION.

rh. acton Of thn Police Commission IN en-
forcing the Excise law is doing good III more
WAYS than one. Leaving entirely aside the qlies-
,ion whether the Sunday closing feature Is so
wise and wholesome provision 'hat l'S enforce
mcnt is in itself bencliccnt. the agitation "i '"e
much more important question wh'lh'r any 1t"
can be deliberately and with Wcli-'ohS'u'Icu
purpose disregarlcd and treated rs OF no '"'c'
hy the officials sworn 10 enforce III E'"S WIN
out exception or reservation cannot Out pc vi SIT
vice. 1t seems strange at first blush th'l such
n question should arise in any lawaphilhe coih-
munity For when one stops 10 give II S'rIo"s
thought it must be perfectly apparent 'h'' '"e
thesis put forth by The gentlemen VINO Wai'ed
on the Mayor last Saturday TO ask that the sun
dav closing law be annulcd in practice ana lis
violation winkod at by the constituted au'horl-
tics IS in its logical outcome subvcrsive OF all
law /, i not zoo much 10 say that II Is the
bcrInninc Of anarchy And yet that IS precisely
the proposition offered by the gentlemen who
claimed to represent very large number Of in
tclliccnt voters, and maintained by them with
something like heat and bitterness, not uhmi1cd
with what sounded very much Ike threats
In an interview printed in another column Mr.
Edward Crosse. one Of the gentlemen referred
to- undertakes to explain the position thch
taken But We do not observe mat anything III
this Interview implies change III his attitude
or affects The Tribuncs view Of II as heretofore
set forth. ON tn contrary, II rdih'r emphasizes
II. For he still insists that The Mayor ana the
police authorities should with forethought ana
deliberaiion violate their own oathS OF once by
permitting the lnfraciion Of law hey are sworn
70 enforce There can be- 10 argument upon that
point Its admission lOoSens all the bonds or
law and all social obligations. II Is nothing less
than the first step toward the dissolution of the
social compact. and the disintcsration ~ all the
forces which operate 10 hold governments In co
hcsion II on, set Of officials may disregard
their oaths. why not all; II ony law may be
violated with lmpuniiy under permission IL those
commissioned 10 enforce II. why not all! !" say
rs Mr. Crosse does. that The enforcement 81
plain and explicit statute VIII so anger ana
cxasperaic u majority OF voters that they VIII
rise up at the iirst opportunity ana pun IN power
the party II corruption and misrulc simply ne
causc the enforcement II a single law has SUD
iectcd them 10 temporary Inconvenience. j. re-
fcc,lon upon the honesty and IN Insult 10 me
intelligence " the aVcrIg" ciiZ"n. u lhpl'N
incapaclty for self goycrnment
Mr. Crosse saws he would Ike 10 impress upon
"thc Mayor and Commissioner Roosevelt mat
"in politcs the rules of mathematics and of logic
"wiu 90 for naughi in storm ~ sentiment
"nroudccs and physical necessities Hy which
he means we suppose. that the rules Of politics
that is the rules which govern political parties
and lead 10 political success depend upon ana
ara. the creation OF. sentiment preJudccs and
phvslcal necessities" without regard To the rules
At, 4 81 iu,stf'
sentiment preJudces and physical necessities
are in their nature cphcmcral and transliory'
while the rules Of mathematics and Of logic are
fixed and eternal The simplest statement ~
the situation is the fullest rcfutaton Of his argu-
ment This Is a Government in which a major
fly make the laws and they make them 10 b"
obcycd. Not 10 be fooled with. but 10 be obrycd.
II they opprcss "A majority the majoriiy will see
TO 1t that in due time and by regular and orderly
processes they are repealed or changed. nti
that time the minority must submit To thch'
however inconvcnicnt or oppressive ..'d the
essential fact to be borne in mind - mat IN
popular Government those who oppose The en-
forccment Of law are logically and necessarily
in the minority, for when Il majority are opposed
10 it they simply exercise their right and repeal
IT, That Is as sound as any rule OF mathematics,
as indispuiablc MS any law of logic, ana 1t Is
reasoning that will stand and abide against all
the temporary shifts and expcdlcnts Of 'sen'i-
mcnt prejudices and physical necessities II
the law Is obnoxious 10 the majority. II VIII be
rcpralcd or modified. II IL Is not, II certainly
should be enforced
Meantime the fact must not be lost sight OF
that the threat which these gentlemen hold over
the present municipal administration is that the
persons who are nconvcncnccd by the enforce
mcnt Of the law will turn out those who enforce
II and bring back TO power the party which
enacted It and made its enforcement necessary
10 honest government.