New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02
RUNNING AMUCK."


with its moral justification dependent
on the character Of its grievance ana
its legal justification on its success.
jefferson believed in occasional diso'-
der AZ "A method for the recall of I'M
popular laws. and therefore opposed
Hamilton'S forcible suppression Of the
Whiskey Rebelion-the first revolt
against the federal gOvernment-pcr-
maps thus proving 10 our new states
mansbip that he was great American.
while by the same token Hamilton was
not. The Americans and their English
ancestors have never been wanting IN
readiness To give forciblc expression
10 any dislike Of law. But they have IN
general given il with a sense of respon-
Siblity in undertaking TO remodel TN"
state by violence and in measures OF
formal revolt directed fairly 10 the ac-
complishment Of their purpose. ~. too
we are not unaccustOmed 10 riotouS
outbreaks. as in labor troubles. But
they almost always in former times
were the result of passions developing
with defeat perhaps with starvation
and desperation. They were usually
secondary features of Il struggle. not
It's primary manifestation, and rarely
merely wanton.
Bat Il change seems 10 have come
over the spirit of q large body OF per
sons both here and in England. We
saw il in the streets Of New ! orH I've
other day when body Of strikers
gayly went out from their places oi
employment TO smash hotel windows.
while debating tho wisdom and pro
priety of making incdiblc or even
noisoning the food Of IN unUf"nding
public They were not Urged on by
desperation. which sometimes over
throws tho normal sense Of order and
social responsibility. They were jns'
running amuck." intent on dong
damage for lis own sake. l.iscWiS" ia
England we sec band Of sufragistS
running amuck" with The sam" lir'-
SponSiblc lcyity. They smash the VIII
dows of unoffcuding shopkcepcrS. they
destroy the letters OF harmless peo-
ple-pprhapS advocates Of their own
cause. maybe the letter Of dying
mother 10 Il daughter or the cvldenc"
on which depends the property OF
widow rs anxious To vote as them
selves They destroy golf links in lner"
malicious mischief they slash priceless
works Of art. they kick and bite AMI
scratch like petulant, spoiled children
for whom the good sense or the ages
prescribed sound spanking in su'h
circumstances. They talk revolution
but revolution means action taken
crayely with an assumption of rcspon'
Sihility for the part taken. it has re-
gard for the fundamental basis Of hu-
man relations. These mischief makers
arc as regardless of those relations rs
Malay running amuck." They seem
TO have as little sense Of self-rcstraint
and ~ responsibility "a members OF
civilized society as mad dog CHASING
through the streets. Nothing likr "
has been seen IN nodcIn tlln'S ""t WI
bedlam or the nursery.
What accounts for this vantOnncSs.
this prtulant lawlcSsnesS, this rcndl-
nes. 10 do meaningless mischief in cold
blood? II Is not the weight Of opprcN'
sion. The grievances of striker or SUI
fragettc. take them seriously n you
will are trifinr to what men have on
dured and by patient. law-abiding Ell
fort cured. High enthusiaSms ana
revolutionary zeal lead to battles; they
do not lead Ia cat fights. and the aim
loss dcstructivcncSS Of the BHndarloc.
perhars il is the simian ancestor COM
inc 10 the surface which makes men
claiming to speak sObcrly about III"
rights and wrongs Of industry. or full
grown. intelligent women claiming -
larger part in the government Of civil
lied society. thus forget all traditions
Of order. all sense Of personal RESPONSE
biliiv. all obligation Of rcif-restrnlni.
that thus like undiscipined children
tbey find in any unsatisfcd desire the
prctcNt for Splt"Iul pTaIIh> aG"'lH' NV
world. Perhaps decay in the Ola
training Of respect for law in home ana
in state. an atropbied sense OF moral
accountability. habit ~ INDUCING
selfish whims. Il diSdain Of discipline
and growth Of cgotism have made
modern society a prey 10 the t"mpcrs
Of It's own grown up children. What
ever the cause. certainly the sense OF
duty toward law has changed. We see
less Of grim rebellion Of men in the
mass driven 10y serious common plr-
pose. but more Of individual wan'on-
ness responding to unrcgulated I'M
pulse. Running amuck" seems to lie
invading civilization.