The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-12
Cs..ty s.A cssy oaciai Paper.


New York city has been brought under
. new law which IN designed to bring its
masses up 20 the level Of Theodore Roose-
velt- The countrymen OF the state. TAX
Ing advantage Of the domination of the
Republican party. have been strong
enough to insist that the metropolis shall
no longer be a free and cosmopolitan port.
but shail conduct itself with the decorum
Of well regulated village. The rural set
out TO tell. the wicked New York urban
what 10 eat ana when. what to drink and
when. where to 90 20 bed and when: he
did not wish to live in New York himself.
hut he insisted that those who lived In
the city should do az he did In his peace
full country home.
The Republican rural thinks he has been
making the bad good and the good better;
the Democratic urban denounees IL as the
mcddling of the country with the city; a
tendency to hamper the city taxpayer
while II imposes upon him the heavier
share OF burden that II Is an interference
with personal liberty.
The Tammany leaders claim the next
municipal election by 1000. overturning
the strong Republican majority Of the last
one: and they declare that they do not
hope 80 much from the adhesion of the
: vicious which they probably always
count upon-but from recruits from the
ranks OF the nnoderates who were content
to Let well enough alone. They rely upon
that characteristic of human nature
which always wants most that which Is
forbidden. and vigorously resists refusal
of what It would voluntarily so without.
The interests Of a community are al
ways In greatest safety when the laws
are not too exacting. Laws are always
most respected when they are judiciousiy
enforced. The city OF New York is not
place where the eurfew law can be APP
piled: and the result Of too strict appiica-
ton Of the regulations viii result In
complete reversal of the Republican poll
ICY and a reaction toward the extreme of
license. II Is always the case. human
nature Is the same everywhere. snd IL is
not only In New York that public seEti-
ment OF the city resents the meddling OF
the country--that the urban. with his
varied interests and his diverse customers.
rebels against the weli-meaning but Inn
practicable rural from the Ninth ward,
that Is. across the Harlem.
There Is a distinction 20 be made In uu-
nicipai government between sin and pee
oabllisy. between the decalogue and an
ordinance. A man may violate an ordi-
nance and be punished without putting
his soul in jeopardy. The purpose OF or
dinances is 20 preserve the peace. the
health and the safety OF the people. There
are enenses against higher Law. but
thay do not come within the province Of
a mayor or the jurisdiction of a rolIee
court. If mayor were made the con-
servator of public morality. he could be
kept busy six nights out of seven, and
then not accomplish mach.
All men who desire 20 sec a city gov
erned wisely and It's business conducted
IN an orderly and ineffensfye manner. will
lend their aid TO the passage and osserv-
ancc OF suitable regulations. But they
viii be on their guard against putting in
3coparsiy reasonable regulations by a
screwing down OF the people to the poin,
OF resistance.
There are many things a mayor and the
police could md 10 do. This is the nacuth
when the proclamation against thistle,
shou,d Re issued Many back alleys
ought 90 be Inspected. Water is used out
of hours. Faucets are leaking Plumb IA
n faulty. Garbage il not disposed az tc
the best advantage. People throw hanana
peels on the sidewalks and paper In ms
cutters. Az these things are violations 81
ordinances which should be checked They
come within the true scope ~ municipal
regulation. and AFFORD a pron,ahie fsis
for an active mayor with quick eye ans
a rapid gast.
Tammany will surely Be victorious Il
New York city because the great ma fer
ity Of people hate 10 he chased. and regu
lated. ana timed. ana watched. for -
other reason than that now and agass
some drunken rcanier waiiows n mir,
aud ia rchceSs. IL Is not vieksdaSsx ia
win prevail. but the everyday citizen
Who makes no very great rr~tenstons Z.
besnx good. bat n net very bas ~ On,
wossd Sosa