Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-08-02

IT is not so much amendments of the
Constitution and additional legislation
that are needed to protect the people
from burdensome taxation as it is greater
circumspection over the expenditure of
public moneys, and especially greater
care in the choice of public agents
county, township, municipal, and school.
The laws are explicit enough, and there
could be no cause of complaint if they
were carefully Obeyed, but they are not,
and the people themselves are largely re-
Sponsible for it. Officers are creatures
of law. They have no power whatever
except such as is conferred upon them by
law. Men who persuade the Commits
sioners of a county, for example, to con-
sent to an expenditure not fairly author
lied by the letter and spirit of the law,
merely for the sake of a temporary per-
sonal advantage, have no thought of the
wide door they are flinging open. To that
spirit can be traced directly the apparent
feeling in the minds of very many officers
that the laws have no meaning when ap-
piled to them-that a strict observance
of their provisions is not expected of them
that they can do about as they please
with public moneys-and that if they do
favor for friend and a good fellow at
the public expense no especial harm has
been done All well informed men, who
have observed the conduct of public af-
fairs know the drift has been in that di-
rection for years-a getting away from
the safe anchorage Of the law in the ex-
penditure of public moneys-and that
the abuse is on the increase. Neither of
the political parties is any better in this
respect, nor worse, than the other-and
the fault must not be laid wholly at the
doors of the officers.
The People themselves must learn to
respect the laws-to respect the obliga-
tions men take upon themselves when
they assume public office-and to be more
circumspect in the choice of men for Of
fee. The pay, as a rule, is much better
than like men get in the employ of cor
porations. 1t ought to command su-
perior order of men-men beyond the
reach of Establishments, and of high
order of ability.
An aroused Public Conscience is the
need of the hour-nOt more laws, whose
easy evasion gOOd-natured people
would submit to, as they do to-day
''No money shall be drawn from any
"treasury except in pursuance of law"
is written in the Constitution, and should
be written upon the four fronts of every
court house and other public building in
the State, and especially above the doors
of County Auditors. Can the genius IF
man devise anything palmer than that?
Yet apparently no attention is paid to it,
and little concern exhibited by the peo-
pie about its frequent and fragrant vio-
lation by men who seem to think they
are doing no wrong.
| "GOd give us men. A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready
hands;
Men whom the lust of Office does not kill,
Men whom the spoils of office can not buy,
Men who possess opinions and a will,
Men who love hOnOr-men who will not lie,
! Men who can stand before a demagOgue
And scorn his treaeherous attery without wineing;
| Tall men, sun-crOwned, who live above the fog
In public duty and in private thinking
For while the rabble with their thumb worn creeds,
| Their large professions and their little deeds,
Mingle in selfish strife, 10! Freedom weeps,
Wrong rules the land and waiting Justice sleeps. -