New-York tribune., 1895-08-27
A L4W-ABIDING REOPLE.

II speaks volumes for the good sense. love or
order and reverent regard for law. OF all classes
in this community rich and poor, high and low'
that all the vehement rhetoric and angry de-
nunciation INDUCED in during the last TWO
months have failed to provoke anything that
could be dignified with the name OF public
demonstration against the enforcement OF law.
Thanks largely to the new state Of things In the
Police Department, and the efficient service
which is now the rule instead Of the exception
in the force; but thanks also in no small measure
to the good sense OF all classes In the com
munity. there have been no manifestations Of
violence against the Police Commissioners or
other civil authorities responsible for enforcing
the law, notwithstanding an apparent purpose
in some quarters to provoke assaults upon tnem
No argument is possible in a community or
ganized under, and governed by. law, upon the
question whether the laws should be enforced
Nor can there be any question as to the distinct
and wide separation Of the two official functions
Of interpreting and executing the laws. The In
terpretatiOn of law belongs TO the judicial It's
enforcement to the police, department OF the
government. 1t is a foolish and mschiev-
Gus demagogue who undertakes TO make the
policeman believe that he has the power OF dis
elimination in the execution Of statute laws, and
that he may in his discretion arrest. refuse to
arrest the violators Of law, according as in his
Judgment the law Is wise and wholesome orr
burdensome and oppressive. 1t Is more than
foolish and mischievous when man or newst
paper dances round the offender under arrest.
shouting to him with simulated Indignation, and
cOunterfeited zeal for personal freedom, that he
is the victim of imposure and tyranny; that The
law under which he is held was never intended
to be enforced and that resistance is his duty.
Whoever is guilty Of that mischievOus sort
Of interference is worse than a demagOgue; for
il is the act Of an incter to lawlessness; Of
wanton provoker Of riot; Of public enemy.
Nothing can excuse or justify It. 1t is criminal
recklcssness. Yet this is precisely the line Of
treatment pursued in some quarters in the dis
cussion Of a matter Of such vital importance to
the public safety and the public welfare as the
enforcement Of plain statute law.
One Of the steps taken by those engaged In
urging disobedience Of the laws and defiance Of
the authorities empowered TO enforce them was
TO show by the testimony Of the legislators who
enacted the law of which complaint was made
that it was not passed with the idea that 1t
would be enforced So far as this was true, 1t was
merely of ignorance and incapacity. but Of de-
liberate dishonesty and premeditated fraud ever
made 10 selfgovcrnng and selfrespectng
community. The great body of voters do not
mean TO fool themselves by passing laws that
are not laws but only dead letter on the stat
utebook Nor do they mean TO elect men to fool
them with such ridiculous enactments. The
persons who invited legislators ~ make such
a confession. or frightened them into II, I'm
posed upon such intelligence ms these legislators
were supposed TO have. but the latter justified
the imposition In some measure by showing that
they had not sufficient intelligence TO he I'm
posed upon There are lawmakers and law
makers but The lnwmnkcr who In such an ire
dccmublc idiot M TO confess 10 the public whom
hr undertook 10 chont. Tint The law hc helped 10
pass was pfomcdltnicd lic 70 The law abiding
nnd n mcnninglcaa dead letter 10 tho lnwbrcnkcr
passes comprehension, A fine body Of laws nnd
II cheerful condition or society we should have
IT, after Tanmnny Legislature had given uS
II code. the Interpretation Of II should be left
10 The lammany Legislators, and they be per
milled 10 specify what laws they intended should
be obeyed and what they meant 10 be disre-
garded.
Personal liberty Is good thing, but the line
has to be drawn when It's assertion involves in
frlngement of law. Freedom OF opinion Is n
good thing also, but ii runs into license when 1t
Is used as a cover to provoke lawlessness and
incite crime. Against such license there may
not be any specific legal remedy, but 1t lies with
In the province Of a wholesome public opinion
TO check and rebuke 1t In such way as to makeN,
itself felt and needed. We may congratulate
this community that under something Of stress
and temptation it has as body stood the test
admirably. and established its character as a
lawabiding and order-lovng people.