Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1901)
f 'ill Commoner. II .. lit I WILLIAH J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. The Vol. i. No. 38. - 'f f; . Lincoln, Nebraska, October 1 1, 1901. $1.00 a Year Law. , When God said, "Let there bo light," there was light; and that -was law. The sun, moon and stars operate according to a law fixed by the Creator of all things. Tlie human body operates on the lines of perfect law and when this law is violated a penalty must bo paid. Many men have doubted and disputed the ex istence of a God, but they have been made to realize that in spite of their disputations and their doubts there aro natural laws which can not bo violated with impunity. So society must have laws and these laws will exist and be enforced in spite of the protests of'thoso who oppose all law and all government. Those who do not understand the law, and even those who dispute the authority of the law, are will ing to take advantage of the law wheneven Ifchey need protection. When Emma Goldman and her fellow anarchists were placed under arrest they were quick to call for a lawyer and ready to avail themselves of the guarantees of 'the government, although in doing so they invoked the aid of the government which they had de- give to anyone within the confines of civiliza tion the privilege of rejecting all law and com batting all order, but rather that when one form of law or government becamo destructive of the ends of government, the people, acting through the majority, might change the form of the law, not by the destruction of govern ment but by the substitution of more whole some laws, better order and a more perfect gov ernment. , Society will bo benefited if the attention of all is fixed upon the manner in which every safeguard was thrown about the president's assassin. ' When he fired upon the president, that was anarchy; when the crowd, excited by the assault upon the chief .ma jestrato and justly indignant, sought to destroy the assassin's life, that was anarchy; but when the wounded pres ident said, "Let no one hurt him," that was law. It is not difficult to understand why the impulse of the crowd at Buffalo was to de stroy the assassin, yot had his life been taken an injury would have been done to the cause of good government. It was in recognition of this fact that the authorities took every care to nounced. . . While it waaJaw, that f orade-theanar- raq bim ffpmxiolfiiicJa,JUi dsts to do'ovil, it-was likewise law tnattfiew of tno world thd caua.e of good goVernnidriii ohists about them the safeguards essential to individ ual liberty. It was law that enabled these people, oven in the moment when publio pas sion was stirred to its depths, to escape swift and summary punishment a punishment which in the absence of proof would have been injus tice. ' ' Dr. Johnson said:" Law is the last result of human wisdom acting upon human experi ence for the benefit of the public." No one has contended that law is perfect; the steady trend of the good men of the world has been, and is, to make upon the law such improve ments as are suggested by experience. History is filled with the achievements of' men who have organized opposition to governments then existing; but honor is accorded only to those who, while protesting against one form of gov ernment or one administration of government proposed to substitute in its place, not anarchy, but another form of government or another ad ministration complete in its order and in their opinion more likely to be advantageous to the people. Even our own Declaration of Independence, after stating the ends of government, said ''whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to substi tute a new government, laying its foundations 'on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to .effect their safety and happiness." This cloar right was recognized, not that- it would - for government is recognized in IlolyWrit and the constant offortof statesmen who have had at heart the well-being of society has been to make human laws conform as nearly as possiblo to tho laws of nature and of nature's God. The laws of men have been imperfect, and to tho end of time tho laws of mon will lack perfec tion, but tho remedy is not in the destruction of all law but in tho remodeling and reforming of existing laws in accordance with tho lessons of human experience. Law is all pervasive and its authority inoludes man, the climax of creation, as well as tho smallest atom. If the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, tho recognition of authority and obe dience to law como next in the pathway of progress. As centuries pass tho human law should more nearly approach toward tho per fection of that divine law whoso infinite scopo tho poet describes when ho says: "That very law which molds a tear And bids it trickle from its source That law preserves tho earth a sphere - And guides the planots in their course." j-.tr "i"'W was never mord completely vindicated or the au- thprity of the law better illustrated than iu tho trial accorded tho president's murderer. Tho JJar Association of Buffalo realized that this was to her a supreme test of the wis dom and justice of law, and therefore the asso ciation asked for tho appointment of two of tho most eminent lawyers of the community, Judge Titus and Judge Lewis as attorneys for the prisoner. Although tho task was a thor oughly distasteful one, tho responsibility im posed by the court was accepted by the lawyers and within one week after tho president was laid to rest, in spite of excitement and pas sions, the assassin went to trial surrounded by the protection accorded to every individual under the law. While it is law that requires the life of the president's assassin now that his guilt has been judicially established, it is likewise the law that prevents tho conviction of an innocent or irresponsible men. Not only did the court inquire into his act in firing tho shot, but it caused an examination to be made by the most eminent physicians to determine whether the prisoner at the bar was sane and, therefore, responsible for the deed. This display of justice, this zealous care for the rights of the prisoner demonstrates tho rectitude of the government and the regard for the,wisdom of tho very .rules which Czolgosz and his colleagues dispute and despise. It is said that the anarchists who have been de ifying the" authority of society and government also deny the existence of a God. Tho necessity TJie editdr of Tub Commoner has recently received p, letter Ifrom" a Democrat who, feeling that his efforts have been fruitless, is inclined to hybernato for a while and take no interest in public affairs. While this is the only letter of the kind re ceived, it probably reflects the feelings of a 'considerable" number of persons who have labored long and earnestly in behalf of reforms without being able to note tho progress which they hoped for and had reason to expect. It is not unnatural that a period of enthusiasm 'and earnestness should be followed by a period of depression and despondency. JEven ttfe best of men have sometimes halted and hesitated in the prosecution of a noble cause. Elijah, one of the most courageous of the prophets of the olden time, once became discouraged, but the Lord revived his drooping spirits by showing him that there were thousands who had not "bowed the knee to Baal." So reformers can take courage today, for although the enemy is even more strongly entrenched than we thought, there are mil lions who arc still loyal to Jefforsonian princi ples and still interested in reforming the abuses which have grown up under republican rule. The fight must bo continued. Whether the battle be long or short, it is the duty of every citizen to think for himself, form his own convictions, and then stand by his opinion, con fident that the right will finally triumph and that truth will ultimately prevail. Xherig comfort and inspiration ' in .Bryant's f'Battlo 'Fields which will be found on another pag - &
