Attack On Law And Order

Free silver is not the greatest of the evils threatened 'should Bryan and his ;ang get control of the government. Debasement of the national curreney and repudiation of the nation's obligations would work diré havoc for a time, bnt a returning sense of justice and a sorrowful experienee would forcé a repanition, and prosperity wonld, in time, be reBtored. But Bryan stands on a platform which directly attacks the courts of justice and denies the right of the government to suppress mobs. The courts of any country are the staunchest protectors of the people; but in a country like ours they are the bulwarks of popular liberty. They not only defend the people against the encroachments of other branches of the government, but they protect them from the abuse of liberty, the license and crime which are ever ready to assert themselves, and are only restrained by a wholesome fear of the consequences. This abuse of liberty, this reekless license and disregard of laws which 'make the enjoyment of liberty possible, is very niueh more common in a country where people govern themselves than in one where they are governed, and for obvious reasona. On this account, the only safety of government or people is a firm, unflinching support of the courts. When, therefore, the Demoerats in the last Congress directly attacked the federal juciciary for using its powers to defend the people against thl most Tiolent and the boldest mob that ever came togecher in this country, their action was universally deplored by good citizens, and it was regarded as a sure sign of !he decadence of the party. It was not supposed, however, that a great national convention would go still further, and condemn its own President for suppressiag that mob. President Cleveland's interference at Chicago and his prompt restoration of order was, without doubt, the most praiseworthy act of his administration. The mob had not oniy complete possession of Chicago, but as that city was a great commercial center, it was able to paraiyze trade and travel throueh a large part of the United States. Had it been allowed to work its will for a few weeks longer. as would have been the case if Altgeld and his fellow-Anarchists and Socialists had had their way, it would have ovcrthrown the government, and the property and the lives of the American people would have been at its mercy. The platform upon which Bryan stands calis for a restoration of the statu quo. He would place that cowardly mob of ineemliaries and cut throats back in the position they were when President Cleveland interposed the federal autbority to restore order, and when the courts reached out their arma and locked up the leaders in prison. Bryan would place the powor or restoring the commerce and travel in the United s in the bands of a feHow-Anarchist, tke A IJ geld. and reír, imnn Kim 'ft,jjrs be torch. the faludgeon and the bowieknife, in spite of the fact that he bad encouragiiiirly witnessed the hideous spectac'e for days and had not moved a finger to stop it. Free silver promises temporary ruin, but the new theory of government exponnded by Bryan and his associates