New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-05
RETTRNLNG RElSONl BLENESN

n failure 10 enforce a specific law In plrlc
MAR instances Il a sufIicirn, reason for annnl
ling anv other or all laws rs our somewhat or
rattle and Eighty contemporary The Ncw-fork
World" seems disposed 10 maintain. this town
WAS full Of reasons Yesterday for ahogating ~"
entire penal code. For The furilv" AMI elusive
small boy wa, scriing of fir-crackrrs AMI o'h"r
noisy explosives In celebration ~ III" day. ANA
in violation " law all over town ana hll DAY
long Besides The small boy there were, II"
doubt many grown men who did ia" sam" ih'nS
with impuni'y. not being arrested 'h'r'I'r "f
even lnicrfer,I with by IN" police. Ana u Is
probably Also tri. that some men in'iulg'd IN
ur,fanc language and even blasphciny In viola
tion Of law and escaped arr~-t. II would he
passing strange. too II many other ana rnnk'r
offences against law and order and III" pubic
pence were not committed for which no punish
,nent was inflicted. nor even So much ~ r'huh'
administered II IL seriously argued 10y some
gentlemen. who feel aggrevel hy The SunIay
closing Inv and have been put 10 inconvrn'ic"
hv TIA enforcement. that because these yioaor'
~ law are not pursued and punished there
should no n general immunity granted 10 all who
violate the Sunday law and that the fact should
argument from the sporadic hrecrackcr ~ ih"
small boy for the annulmcnt " specihc stl'u'"
~ wide md general application need not be-
answered In the legal maxim that N" law taxes
no heed Of tribes. for. strictly speaking, n"thhg
can he called triiing Of which III" law 'hk'S
cocnizance by special enactment. bu' Inc pF"pp
sition itself that. because there Is negligence or
lnxliy In III. enforcement OF one law. som" "fh'r
Inv NAV be entirely ignored or disreeairlei Is
an ,hc face Of II too absurd for n moments con
sidcraton.
There IL reason 10 think that The people who
went ofY their feet In n passionate outbreak
against the Mayor and the Police Commission
for doing In n frank. straightforward way what
It was their sworn duty 10 do and they c"ul not
omit 10 do without criminal d'r'h''"n ar"
coming 10 their senses Discussion has brought
on, the fact that III" obnoxious law was not III"
worl; Of "Turlianical b,cots." bnt Of the very
mon who represented the saloon Interests chiefly
affected by II; and thar lis sol" purpose was To
give TO the party which passed 1t cl'io for
discriminating purposes and Il device for rxlor'
in,, from the brewers and saloOnk'ep"rs III"
means for keeping itself In power. II was This
nur,y and these men thar the voters rose mp
against N the HSt tN'lloH NV h""'' 'P'' ~
form movement WAS directed against the corrupt
and lawless methods Of which III" passage OF thlS
law IL only II single feature The sch"m'rS who
PASSED IL never had the slightest Idea " lis
lr,ng generally enforced like other laws. Their
plain purpose was 10 use II simply To exiort hush
money and make themselves solhl with the
numerous class III persons Interested. To whom
they sold immunity and pcddlcd indugcnces
II IL doubtless true that IA large number of
citizens no more Germans than voters Of other
notIonalItes for the Use Of beer on Sundays az
well as other days Is not by any means confined
10 one nationality assisted In the Reform move
mont without fully comprehcndng the fact that
ibe enforcement Of all laws without exception
or reservation. which that movement neccs
sartly implied might include some which would
prove inconvenicnt and oncro'is. Few, Indeed.
were aware " the trap which the Democratic
Legislature of 1892 had SET for any honest party
which should com" after II. II IL unfortunate, of
course. that II was not sprung. or lis effect fore
seen. ls,forc The Last Legislature adjourned. In
that event the law would undoubtedly have been
SO modified ms to meet the reasonable demands,
OF the majority; among which. II may he sahl
the demand that any existing statute be treated
officially as null and void IL not included But
the inaction Of the Legislature. growing out Of
the Plat Tammany complications In the hold
over Senate. so delayed the passage Of municipal
reform measures that the machinery for putting
them In operation was not perfected until after
the adjournment. The new Police Commission
had an enormous task upon It's shoulders The
mass Of the people nre satisfied that the Commits
sioncrs are animated by sincere and honest
purpose, and are dschnrging their task with en-,
ergy, industry and fidelity In this matter there
Is no doubt in any reasonable mind that they
have done and are doing their simple duty. with
out Sinking responsibility or cvadIng consc
quences. In the suddenness Of an unusual priva
ton brought about by strict enforcement Of law
some thoughtless and impatient citizens crlti.