New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-16
"pEPSOVIL ITBERTYS" BAD YEAR.

"PERSOvAL LTBERTY'S" BAD YEAR
personal liberty seems to be catching 1t In
the neck"-if we may be allowed the expression
| from all points Of the compass this year For
instance. here's Eugene V. Debs only just out
Of fail. What had Dcbs done that he should be
thrown into loathsome dungeon so-called-
| though. as a matter Of fact believe II was
furnished room with lock on the door-what
had ne done that he should suffer martyrdom!
| Nerclv exercised his freedom OF opinion ana
specch and thereby stopped the business OF the
country. Just for this. and perhaps because incl
dentally and indirectly he had caused the sacrifice
of several lives and widespread suffering ana
distress throughout the country. they went ana
! enforced some tyrannous and obsolete furl'ah-
| ical blue law and shut him up In the lnc'rcel'-
tion Of Debs personal liberty" caught IL III 'ie
neck. and between the eyes. and below the p'i'
and all round The walking delegate rei' the
bIow and cried aloud as Debs disappeared DE-
| hind the bars:
| Then and YOU and all Of us fell down
! Whilst bloody treason hourisfed over US
,rho, almost bofore the echoes Of Debs's elo-
ouence had died away in the Jail yard, some
nhor foos of free institutions and conspirators
AGAINST "personal liberty" right here in this great
|
enacted by the bigots of Tammany Hall and be
CON enforcing II inst as though there was no
s,,cb thing as "personal liberty" This unexpect-
oil proceeding not only infringed the personal
liberty Of citizens who were indignant at being
compeled TO buy enough whiskey and beer Sat
urday night to last over Sunday. instead OF being
able 10 get n drink anywhere ut any time ever!
dav In the week, but it infringed the personal
4, I,.xx an
who. being engaged in a specially philanthropic
calling. were entitled to the special privilege OF
exercising it day and night seven days In the
week without cessation. Moreover IL hiaue Il
difference of several thousand dollars week
in their revenues. all Of which was liable 10 1ai
into the hands Of the cold-blooded savings banks
II made great difference, too. incidentally Win
the duties Of the police. who under the lie"
regime made hardly enough arrests on Suhda!
TO pay for their salt, while the Ponce court
Magistrates had so little to do Monday morning
that they could not earn their salaries. lhiS
was such shocking state OF affairs mat the
brewers and distillers organized a great demon
stration in behalf Of personal liberty the erect
Of which will before long be seen at the polls.
And now come NJ James j. Corbett and Mt.
Robert Fitzsimmons complaining that as far
away ne Texas and Arkansas the cOnStaDles anu
nolce are dragging out of the statute books obso-
lete blue laws infringing their personal lid
erty" 10 engage in debate with each other III II
ring Mr. Corbeft calls 1t persistent persecu-
ton" and is quite indignant about II. Warheu
away from Texas by the Puritanical bigotry OF
tho Governor and law officers Of that State ne
and Mr. Fitzsimmons undertook to transfer the
debate 10 Arkansas, but found to their intense
disgust that there were blue laws In that state
also which n Puritanlcal bigot Of Governor
gave them formal notice should he enforced
| At last accounts they had determined to make IL
stand for personal liberty" at Hot Springs III
that State. law Or no law and take the chances
In this determination they are said TO be backed
bv several thousand philosophical citizens OF
Arkansas. who desire 10 attend the debate ana
are willing to put up money for It, The issue Is
Nc vet uncertain but the eyes Of the friends OF
personal liberty" throughout this oppressed
country are now fixed on Arkansas. where IL Is
generally felt that personal liberty is AT some
thing like Thermopylae Meantime where Is
the Arnold Won Winkelreid Of the new crusade
who gathering in his devoted breast the spears
Of the Roosevels and the Texas and Arkansas
Governors and all the rest OF the Puritanical
bigots. should make way for personal liberty
and die singing
Oh. We'll all drink stone blind.
| Johnny, fill up the bowl.