The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-05

as citizens believe that certain strik
 Ing and happy results would follow I There Would be an 'overturning oi
 bosses and cracking of slates through
 out the land. Primaries would be turn
 ed out of saloons and held in respectable
 places. Politics would be purified and
 the hopes of our fathers justified. Bet
 ter candidates would be nominated for
 office because intelligent and refined
 citizens would attend the primaries and
 have voice in the matter. The Amer-
 can people would discover that it had
 no need of whip-cracking bosses.
 Better men would be elected for presi-
 dents, governors, judges, legislators, se-
 lectmen, law-enforcing officers, men
 more generally competent and upright. This would result from two causes;
 first, the participation of the better
 class in the primaries where nomina-
 tions are made, and, second, the en-
 trance into the task of choosing by bal
 lot between the candidates of a large class of intelligent and honest men who now unwisely refrain from voting. | Better laws would be enacted. To be
 sure, legislators vote does not always indicate his character. Other considera-
 tions may outweigh his personal wish es But evidently, the more intelligent and upright our legislators are, the more likely are they to make wise and righteous laws.
 There would be more alacrity on the part of officials to arrest, try and punish violators of the law. First, because the officials averaging better men than now, would feel more inclination in that di rection; and, secondly because policy would suggest more frequ ntly than now that to please the public and retain office it would benecessary to enforce the law.
 There would be an irresistible determn- ation abroad that the law must be en- forced The great majority, even now, believe, would like to see the laws obey- ed, Were this languid desire developed into resolute dtermInation the greatest reproach of the American people would be wiped out. Tn every city and town the watchword would be, We demand obedience to law" Resolute citizens | would drag every polecat of an abomin- able nuisance out to- light and- with ! fingers on noses, pursue and slay it. There would probably be much work , for the Law and Order League in the | first stage of this great citizens move ment. People would be too earnest to care much for red tape. they would say | to dens and deviltries, we stand not on the order of your going. but propose that you shall go at once. Later on, however, the Law and Order League would find its occupation gone. I, who am supposed to desire that the League shall be immortal, declare boldly that it would not long survive the awaken ing of enlightened citizenship. The people would get behind officers, prose- cutting attorneys and magistrates with sharp sticks stimulating them to their duty, and if duty were neglected would give them short shrift before crying, of with their official heads!'
 With the purification of politics, the of fit office holders, the enact ment of needful laws and their rigorous all resulting from puri- fled citizenship. would also come moral riches worth far more than silver and gold. For what is a magnificent cor 'upt city, but a jeweled sty?
 Under such a regime as I have pie .ured citizens will cry in increasing : numbers, 'I can live without splendor, put I cannot live surrounded by un- ,leannese.' The quicksands which in ,ur very streets entrap young men to heir ruin will be filled up, vice will be , stripped of it's attractive dress and it's , Igliness cease to allure. The saloon hat greatest enemy of the church, will ( laily decline in power while the church, ( having taught it's communcants that t elipion ie a praptica1 thinp for Tse in | , he world that now is, will reap it's re- l yard in augmented honor and influence. l {