New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-20
as the public welfare demands mat ms record
shall not be heightened.
~ DEMOCRACY ANARCHY!

tho essence OF a democracy Is in the concession
NJ tho outset of the right Of the majority to gov
ern The good citizen keeps this in mimi. When
the rule of IL M isrity seems oppressive anu
tho laws they make bear hard. as he thinks. upon
his nersonal freedom. he reflects that after all
he has duties TO perform as wei as rish's 10
assert. and that the highest OF HIS u"'leS
under the social contract is to OBEY the law.
The cohesion OF society as well ms the pefpe'uiy
Of Governments depends upon universal recoS-
milton of the fact that civic rights are subordl-
nate TO civic duties; that the duty or Obedience
70 the law is primal and transcendent and that
M rights under the law can exist without 1t.
Laws may be changed by due process ana con-
stituted forms of procedure without disturbance.
This the good citizen keeps in mind under what
no may consider oppressive conditions, bdng
IN natence the time when the ruling majority
will ameliorate them. Laws cannot be openly
violated and the offenders go unpublished, no
matter what the provocation or temptation, with
ont bringing the Government into contempt and
disturbing the very foundations OF society
There has been great deal OF claihor vi "'e
AGAINST the enforcement Of laws which are said
to work inconvenience and hardship 1or very
large class of citizens. Democratic leaders, al
WAYS alert to avail themselves or any symptom
of dissatisfaction discomfort Win hcpuphcah
administration, rather hastily took the ground
that the law of which complaint was maze ought
10 be either only half enforced or not enforced
at ALL Since the law was OF their own MAKING
and the only cause Of complaint was that Ike
nublican administration was simply discharging
its sworn duty IN enforcing It, the issue thus
nresonted was promptly and cheerfuly met.
Ronuhlicans were more than willing to go to the
rooro unon the demand Of the Democratic party
60 no restored 10 mower in order that it might
o;vo Immunity TO yiolators Of law. They had
no hesitation in meeting that question lrahh9
and s0uarely Republicans have too much conn
dence in the intelligence and honesty OF the
voting masses to doubt for moment thelr YER
dict upon the simple question whcther MS OF
anv other statute law shall be openly violated
with the collision and consent OF the authorities
whom they have chosen TO enforce II. 1he Dem
ocratic politicians, who measured the Importance
Of the demonstration against law enforcement
bv noise rather than by numbers, nave since
seen their mistake and discovered that their po-
sition was untenabe. 1t has dawned upon them
that lawbreakers are more noisy than numerous,
and that the great majority Of voters are Do'h
ordcr-loving and law-abldlng.
An interesting phase Of the discussion OF the
last few months. and one which continues to be
illustrated in communications printed In the
daily press. has been the manifestation Of de-
sire on the part of the aggrieved and downtrod-
den Democrats of this city to separate from the
rest of the State and set up new State here,
including New-York, Kings, Queens. Westchester
and Richmond counties. One Of these, writing
over the signature "Knickcrbocker Ill lhe
New-York Herald" OF last Sunday says he Is
tired of existing conditions; that these hayseed
politicians from up the State are too much for
INV euuanimty and | think we should revolt.
LET us end this farce" hN says. Let us formu-
.Iate a new Declaration of Independence. Let
.'us be Free He proposes that "the metropolitan
district be made State by Itself cutting 1t OH
from the rural wastes above" and making "a
grand progressive, metropolitan State lie
may not be aware Of it, for he seems to be eX-
tremely young but he is plagiarlZlng the late
Hon Fernando Wood. That eminent Democrat
propoundeI the same scheme more than thirty
wears ago. concurrently with the effort Of large
number Of Democrats further South TO shake
off havseed domination" formulate a new Dec
laration Of independence and "be free. III
IS characteristic of Democracy bears its ear
marks and illustrates It's spirit The Democratic
notion is now. as It has always been. that when
ever the party Is In II minority or passes ont OF
mower its function IS TO secedc, break up the
Government. set W for itself and lnaugurate
anarchy or chaos.
This writer forgets that the present admins
traton Of his proposed metropolitan State IL
Republican. and not unlikely 10 continue So.
The revolution he suggests would not, conse-
anently. bring remedy or relief for the condl-
lions which distress him. BY the force OF his
own logic he would be driven next TO Il Declara-
tlon Of Independence OH the part Of the lower
wards I'm which Democrats have a safe major
ity. and a separation from the upper portion Of
the island IN order to escape the domination Of
men who are in political sympathy with hay
seeds" And after the citizens engaged in the
revolt have established their "Stae" upon the
foundation of enforcement Of one law or set
OF laws, It IS quite possible that considerable
number may rise in revolt against the enforce
ment OF other laws as. for instance. those
against highway robbery or murder-and set on
foot still another grand, progressive. metro
poltan State" What's TO hinder their issuing
Declaration Of Independence and ruling them
selves? Indeed 1t might eventually come to
this: That "Knickerbocker," himself being at
odds with pretty much everybody else on the
question Of legal restraints and enforcement OF
law would set up a grand. progressive. metro
potan State" all by himself. That Is the ineyi-
table logic Of his proposition, and 1t Is the logic Of
Democratic doctrine as enuncaed by the father
Of the party who was not Thomas jefferson.
but John c. Calhoun. The truth Is that your
dyed -the-wool Democrat OF to-day is nothing
less than an Anarchist In disguise
WOLSELEY. COMMANDER TN-CHTEF.