Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-11-24

the popular Will, we realty SURRENDER W
the vicious elements the advantage. The
responsibility of the citizen, as it never
leaves him and cannot be laid aside, is
therefore avoided when he permits the
pernicious element to control party ma
chinery. and is estopped from objecting
that he cannot engage in political contests,
nor yet vote, because the prima! things of
which he complains are wrong-for they
are wrong because of his primal neglect.
Nor when the agents are chosen has time
arrived when the citizen can lay by his
responsibility. He is the sovereign, and
as such his watchfulness and supervision
as wise ruler can have no rest. Every
successive act of the agent must be re-
will of the citizen. To admit that any of
the agencies employed to make manifest
the will of the ruler in a republic can
fail, is to admit the failure of the system Of
sell. government.
There are duties, then, incumbent upon
the citizen which are not, and cannot be,
prescribed by laws or Constitutions, for
laws cannot be self-executing, and the chief
executive is the WILL sentiment and voice
of the people. 1t is because of this fact
| that an obnoxious law cannot be enforced,
and that we have what are known as dead
letters on the statute books, and even in
the Constitution-for the sentiment of the
ruler often rises superior to the written law
and nullifies it. Cooley points out that
this is true of very many laws, such as that
against the killing of a human being where
slayer has been invaded, and the laws
against gaming, etc. In delegating power
to an officer we do not then relieve our.
selves of responsibility, or the necessity for
that daily supervision which is as much the
duty of the aggregate, as of the individual
ruler. We thus come down to the
verdict the learned scholar reaches 1.-The
citizen who evades his duties, or leaves
them to be performed by self.chosen and
mercenary rulers, is guilty of crime
against the State and against free institu.
tions in general"
There are score or more of duties IN
cumbent upon the citizen that by law he
cannot prescribe for himself-as the duty
to aid his agents in enforcing the law to
assist charitable associations in work that
the State cannot fully accomplish to pre-
vent cruelty to animals and children to
forbid fragrant violations of the law in his
presence, and, indeed, to interpose in his
capacity as a sovereign and arrest the Of
fender and turn him over to the agency ap.
pointed to punish him. 1t would often
seem that citizens who know their duty in
this regard, evade it on the shallow pre-
officer whose special duty it is to interfere.
So, too, the making known of infringe
ments of the law and the principles of the
Government, is duty of the citizen that
he can escape by no sort OF excuse. 1t is
his duty, further, to give countenance, sup
port and aid to voluntary, organized and
other efforts to reform abuses in the gov
eminent, for if he does not approve and
support such, he oftenest arrays himself
on the side of the evil to be sup
pressed by his passive attitude. Cooley
goes so far in this direction as to
declare that the voluntary organizations to
preserve public official purity and put
down corruption are the most effective,
and in vigor rise, very often, superior to the
laws. This we know to be true regarding
the municipal reforms from time to time
accomplished in our great cities, and which
would never have been consummated except
through the aid given the law by these
voluntary agencies, and the command of
the popular voice, expressed frequently by
the press. For, says the authority already
quoted, corruption in government has the
machinery of the law at its back it in
vokes the protection of the very ruler that
makes the law. " When corruption is in
stalled in authority it makes use Of the law
as an instrument for perpetuating its
power, and concerted action of private
citizens to overthrow misgovernment be-
comes a necessity" Carried out to it's
fullness, and with the reserved right of
the people to hold arms in their dwellings,
and bear them for public defense, and it
evolves the highest exercise of authority
known in a system of government, that
of revolution.
So, if the people would have wise and
a pure government, sit is not less essen
tial that they should act in their capacity
OF private citizens In cases not prescribed
by law, but which nevertheless have d.
rect and necessary bearing upon good gov
eminent, than il is that they should cast
their ballots for suitable persons in cleo
tions or that they should perform jury
duty which, by the way, the majority
of so called good citizens seek to evade-
or bear arms when summoned to the de-
Tense of the State. He who fails to recog-
nize this obligation, and suffers wrong and
oppression, and fraud and dishonesty, to
possess the government!when his influence,
legitimately exerted, might prevent it,
should not be tolerated in complaining of
consequent injury nor be countenanced in
the assumption that he is worthy men,
Der of elf,goyerning commonwealth,
and himself one of It's rulers"
TIE FALSE PaoPHsT 81 MAHDI-wHo
HE Is AND BIS PR TENSIONS.
While in the year 1882 the British troops,
feebly aided toward the last by the forces