The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-21

of the people Is very often identical
with that of the first Vanderbilt. The
public is the COW To be MIXED. In the
large cities more particularly you have
verified. as one has said. a veritable
Arabian Nights tale. Aladdin Is there.
his wonderful ring. nd any number OF
thieves. the open sesame N the looted
treasury cave. Not always do men hold
their Office on accoun OF fitness or
service. The word commonwealth
meant a free government by and for a
free people. This be the pole
sta of our endeavors. Office must
mean service. the discharge of a trust
for the public good. and the reward
should be sought not In salary and
perquisites. but in the honor and es-
TEEN of ones fellow citizens. The
claim is, that municipal government is
charged with the promotion of the peo-
pies welfare. and the demand is. that
institutions established for the good of
the people be maintained. and that
evils, which attack the welfare and the
happiness of the people, be uncompro-
misingly suppressed.
our second demand is essential to
make the first effective, viz. that the
laws of city. state and nation be
strictly and impartially enforced.
Where people live close together inter-
ests are often conflicting. In these
circumstances laws are a mighty force
for good. but only when they are en-
forced. Our critics from abroad think
that there is among us "A spirit of law
lessness which really constitutes one OF
the dangers of the republic. But the
laws we have. and which are really
nothing more than the best judgment
of a majority of the people to goven
their relations to each other, are made
for the peoples good. and must be en-
forced. Lawlessness is anarchy. n
i'm anarchy there lis no safety nor lib
erty. Under such circumstances. and
In a spirit of lawlessness, liquor Is sold
to minors; to men who are drunk or are
known to be habitual d~runkards. In
significant fines are collected from
prostitutes when hat wretched bust
ness constitutes a misdemeanor. The
chief of police claims 10 per cent of his
blood money when the law fixes his ex-
act compensation. Gambling is permit
ted TO n favored few. who a small
fires without the formality of a trial.
when the law denominates his business
a felony. Theaters are open on sun
day in direct violation of the statute.
Liquor is sold in places where women
are employed. and so on, ana thus
avs. made for and by the people. are
VIGOROUSLY violated for the benefit or
a few. and that comparatively the most
worthless i'm the community, and to the
WHOLESALE uftflfltbN VI NV popii' o.
large.
our next demand is that the men
who have been elected for that purpose,
and are drawing large salaries from the
peoples treasury, shall enforce the
la VS.. The mayo aldermen and other
officials have taken the oath that they
will support the constitution of the
United States, the laws of the state and
the ordinances of the city OF Butte.
The same may be said of the county
officers. There seems to be a misun-
| derstanding here. The city and county
officials look at each other and do moth
ing. There are people who have come
to the conclusion that possibly one duty
of officeholders is to shield law-break-
ers. The mayor Is waiting for some
one to furnish him with conclusive evil
dence that the law is being violated;
| the county attorney believes upon what
seems to him reliable evidence hat the
city police department liz compromising
a felony, i'm that IL secretly arrests vio-
lators of the gambling law and allows
them Ia forfeit a nominal bail: the
daily press through the Standard di-
rectly charges a number of our honor-
able aldermen with being law-breakers;
one of the aldermen accuses the chief
of police. who IL supposed to be n ter
ror To grafters. of grating. and the en-
tire police force IL declared either dis
honest or incompetent, exhibiting such
favoritism TO the boss criminals that
they are neither fit to he trusted nor
do they earn their pay: and-there you
are. No wonder that one exclaimed:
Isn't II a wonder that every one If us
hasn't been robbed of his last cent"
But. really. the people must and do
insist that the laws were made To be
executed. No officer has been given
any discretion. II was never intended
that the eXpediency of the endorsement
of any law should yer be submitted to
the wisdom of any petty executive. II
is not a citizens duty to humbly petit
ton for the enforcement of any law.
neither must the city and county wait
for or upon each other to do some
Trims The command is imperative. A
few people may be found somewhere,
possibly in the direction of the slums.
who are opposed TO the enforcement of
all law. but TO regard that as a reason
for a law non-enforcement Is absurd.
"Eighty-fve per cent. of our people
want a morally clean city, and they
want public affairs conducted accord
ing TO the requirements of the deca-
logue. One-half of our common u
ell has been scandalously remiss.
Every one of them should be forever
barred from holding office i'm the gift
OF the people.
THE next city election gives the
people an opportunity to elect sub
stituies for a few of them. II
should be done There is no in
dependent citizens movement, but | be-
lieve, that from the tickets that will be
put into the field. enough men can he
selected. without regard TO party poll
tics, who will conduct the affairs of the
city upon business principles for the
good OF the people and the good name
Of our community. Politics should have
nothing Ia do with city government.
creed should have nothing To do with
city government. Men are wanted
characterized by everlasting immohil-
ity and unmarketable rights In this
election we should h the profess
sional politicians. throw off the party
yoke and vote former.
"A good moral government is the
cheapest as well as the best. Ii II the