The record-union., 1892-03-07

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"RuIers are not terror to the good work,
but TO the evil Rom. xiii. 3.
Paul is not stating matter of history. BE
is not saying anything of the rulers OF his
time or other times as TO their actual practice
He is stating what ought 10 be true OF all
He has just said The powers that be are
ordained OF God,'' and in view OF that fact he
describes in the text what the effect ought 10
be of this power in the hand OF The ruler. Ii
ought TO be q terror to evil. Tne practical
question is, Are our rulers a terror to evil, and
il not why not, and what is the remedy?
1t is natural TO begin this discussion by
looking first at our city government. Are our
rulers here a terror TO the evil elements IN
society?
If am to be guided by what I read in the
newspapers, ana by what citizens or good
standlng tel me, and by what myself see
every day, say in all sincerity our rulers are
not terror to the evil, but rather TO the good.
This will, however. appear more evident as
we proceed. DO our rulers fail 10 be a terror
TO the evil because we have not placed laws IN
their han DIS for them TO enforce,
Look at the Penal Code OF California, Chap
the X, Section $50: Every person who deals,
plays or carries on, opens or causes 10 be
opened, or who conducts either as owner or
employe, whether for hire or not any game OF
faro, etc, is punishable by nne of not
less than 5000, nor more than S1 900, etc.
That is a law enacted by the State, and in
that same chapter, at Section 335, are r tnese @
Words Every District Attorney, Sheriff, Con-
stable or police officer must inform against
Gad diligently prosecute persons whom they
against the provisions of this chapter, and
every such officer refusing or neglecting SO TO
do Is guilty of a misdemeanor."
Is there any question that the law IN Sec
tion $50 of that tenth chapter is being
1iagrantly violated? There is no question
about it, Is there any question that the police
officers could fully satisfy themselves OF this
violation if they '.diligently" watched? There
is no question ABOUT their being fully aware
Oft. They are then either 'neglecting or
refusing to diligently prosecute" offenders,
They are then guilty OF Il misdemeanor, III
other words, they are themselves law-breahers
and ought TO be impeached. These are but
samples of laws that constantly violated
and almost without any attempt at secrecy,
We expect to find a law-breaking class in
every community, but we have a right TO eX-
psct that they shall NOT be those who
chosen to enforce law. We have a right TO
expect that those chosen 10 enforce law shall
be favorable to the law ana opposed TO tho g
violating law. But really our rulers seem To
consort more with the base elements than the
good; seem to be on more intimate and
friendly terms with the evil that with good
citizens.
Not long ago, as 1 walked through Second
street. from h southward, saw a bright but
toned, newly uniformed policeman standing
before the latt1ced window of a strumpet and
shatting with her in perfect familiarity.
That pictures the whole situation. That po-
ncenan and that woman were of a kind.
They were on good terms. She, the enemy OF
society, was his friend. If he was her friend,
how could you expect him to be the friend OF
society?
That scene upon which looked pictures a
intimate, friendly with gamblers They ire
quent and patroniZe saloons, They are warm
friends of the Saloon-keeper. We select sucn
men and expect them TO be reformerS. Such
is the utter folly we commit. We come face
TO face with this fact then, viz: We have
placed too little emphasis upon the matter OF
character in the selection OF public officials.
Few names, if any, in Grecian history SHINE
with more lustar than that of Phocion. "He
was elected General (of the Greek army 10
less than forty-iive times without having once
attended at the election one said: ''DemUs-
themes was the better orator and Phocion the
most persuasive speaker. His speeches were
TO be estimated like coins, not for the size, but
for the intrinsic value"
Plutarch, in expI aiming the great influence Of
Phocion. says: perhaps tnis is to be aScrioeCi
to the excellence of his character, since a word
or q nod from person revered Tor his virtue
is of more weight than the most elaborate
speeches OF other men, Vol. ., p. s.
Important as the matter OF character is it
must be confessed that great difficulty arises
just here in getting citizens of high standing
TO assume public responsibility. The very
men who by nature and experience most
fully qualified are too often SO welded 10 their
own private affairs that they refuse to serve
the commonwealth.
Again the grand old hero of Greece can be
exalted model. Phocion never courted
nor applied tor the command of the Grecian
army, "but." says the historian, "he did not
decline it when summoned by the voice of mis-
country" And 1t is a question we'll worthy
of consideration how far q citizen has the
right TO go in declining summons to serve
his country. Ought he not TO be ready TO sac
n
interests for the public veal? am not sure
but many citizens will be called to account
before God Tor failing to give their country the
benefit OF their services.
The result is that politics fall into the hands
of low order OF men. We find words in
Macaulay's description of the times III the
reign of Charles H., which seem if written
for to-day. "Those persons who made poll
tics their business were perhaps the most
corrupt part OF the corrupt society" Vol 1,
II the charges of corruption in our ma
tional elect ons are at all true, and there seems
TO be no doubt OF it; ii the charges relative to
the last Legislature in this State be true and
if the corruption in our municipal affairs is
correctly stated in the various papers, then
politics still occupy that low place which they
did in the days OF the Cabal and justify that
oft-repeated expression, The dirty pool of
politics"
Will continue TO be until tLey, whose right 1t
is TO rule. shall rule. The majority have
right 10 rule in this land. The good citizens
are by fur in the majority, and yet they do
not rule, not because they cannot. but because
they are not willing to take the trouble
We say with pride that we. the people, are
the soveregns in tins fair land, that we make
and unmake rulers, that those whom call
10 rule are but our representatives. If this is
a fact then Paul is talking to us in the text.
We ought to be terror 10 the evil. The Gov
ernment is what we make 1t or neglect to
make it. We have but ourselves TO blame if
evil gIowS bold and arrogant.
is there any satisfaction in saving, bad as
things are, they are not as bad as they were at
Shall we be so grateful because we are not in
as deplorable condition as the starving peas
ants of Russia, that we snail be willing To be
deprived OF rights and advantages that it is
our duty and privilege to have?
We have right to demand that the laws be
either enforced or repealed. The best and
quickest way To get rid OF bad laws is to faith
fully enforce them. Let the laws we have be
enforced, and then we Will see whether the
people will be clamoring for their repeal. And
these laws will be enforced if we, the people,
are a terror to the evil.
We are not terror. 1t is because officers
know that they can fool with the people; be-
cause they know the people viii suter long
before they Will arise in their Indignation;
while on the other hand the enemies OF So
ciety viii not brook any infringement of their
wishes that they dare 10 DEFY the demands of
the people, weakly and sentimentally made.
1t is idle TO talk about inability to enforce
law. To admit that, is TO admit that our
Government is n failure. which is untrue
Rampant as evil is in this community, there
is plenty of power here TO sweep away every
gambling den, brothel or dive, and every ss-
loon is dive, if that power be only aroused
In all our cities we simply have to learn that
We cannot have good government ii we leave
ii TO the vicious clements in the community
10 govern.
In the very able introduction to Mains
work on Ancient Law we read: Ben
than announced that the true object of juris-
prudence was to secure the general good Of
The community" page 2S.) If that be true,
then the excellence of q law is determined by
the extent TO which it secures the general
good.
Up TO this point in our discussion we have
been considering law that good in itself
and was only made weak by failure of en-
forcement. We come now to notice that there
are laws which have been on trial, so 10 speak
in various States of the Union for MANY
years and it has been demonstrated beyond
reasonable doubt that they are not q terror to
evil, even when enforced. They have fully
demonstrated their inability 40 secure the
general good OF the community" l refer 10
all laws that are made to protect or regulate
evils. Such laws are those which make law
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