The Tucson citizen., 1902-02-08
No Gambler for Public Office.

To the Editor Of The Citizen:
Our Territory has lately been exten-
sively advertised. in a way. however.
to fill up our cup of humiliation and
to infiict lasting injury. The President
by his action in the appointment of
United States marshal has given the
country the impression that Arizona
conditions are such that the most suit
able man for this position Is one who
vas gambler and faro dealer. the
keeper of saloon and dance house,
who has killed his man Julian, in
Dodge City, April 16. 1886 and who,
so it is alleged in as conservative a
paper as the New York Sun is an ex
CCrVlct.
The action of the President shows,
first. a lamentable degree of ignorance
as to our people Arizona is not law
less. On the contrary. the laws are OBJ
served here to as great an extent as
anywhere in the country. II is not
in state of turmoil. On the contrary.
il is noticC2hly peace able. The peo-
ple are no despnral JOS. I'm the con-
trary. they are intelligent. law-abiding
and progressive citizens, comparing
WIFI IUS Sduo uuiuDcE III duN pal vi
! the Union. AS to peace and order, our
conditions are not different from else
/ where.
| 1t is. therefore, sad mistake to
think that the chief qualification for
an Arizona marshal is his fighting
ability. The Office has been, and could
continue to be. most satisfactorily
managed by gentlemen, VINO lay no
claim to being man-eaters.
But, this appointment involves more
than merely local considerations 1t
would seem to be subversive of the
very elementary principles of good
government. Should not a gambler be
encouraged to reform. it Is asked?
The answer is. certainly. Should not
an ex-convict be helped so that he
may earn an honest living? Most
assuredly. Is 1t not the part of c@ity
to forgive a man and help him 0UAhis
way? There can be no doubt tnat 1t is
None of these considerations tend to
show, however. that such n man is
engible to hold public office. To for
give and help an offender Is one
thing. to raise him to public office is
another. Punishment for criEle is in
tiicted not out of spirit of revenge,
but mainly to deter others. Ii Is pro-
vided by the statutes of Arizona and
of every State of the Union, SO far as
the writer is aware, tnat any person
offering to vote may be challenged on
the ground that he has been convicted
of felony. Why is this? He may have
reformed and become a law-abiding
individual. Why not throw over him
the mantle of charity? Why make this
distinction between him and others?
He has served his term in the peniten
tlary. Why not blot out the past? Why
deprive him of the right to vote-the
most precious possession of the citi-
zen?
The answer is that the commission
CT crime is a dreadful matter, and con-
fnement in TIE penitentiary Is only
part, and small part, of the punish
ment. The community is justified in
going farther and in taking every
means to preserve itself by deterring
others, and 1t does so by enacting
that those who deliberately commit +
crimes against the sociai orcer snail
forfeit their rights of citizenship. /
They are different from others who !
have obeyed the laws. They have at /
tackled society. and they cannot after
wards expect to take part in it's man.
agement. either by voting o1' holding
public office They must solace them
selves with the reflection thar. in their
own case at least. the post of
honor is the private station
In administering justice the common
instinct of the people has everywhere
led them to declare that a person con-
victed OF a felony shall have no right
tn vote. Is 1t not the veriest twaadle
and sham to claim that white this is
true, the conviction whether the Of
fender is pardoned or not-Shoud be
no bar To appointment to- public office?
Does good character count for naught?
Are two men. one Of whom has obey
ed and the Otner violated the laws
on the same level? Or are we to under
stand that former dance -houskeeper
an. gambler is all things considered.
to he preferred?
TO sucn and similar questions the
prophet of old gave full ana abid-
ing answer: Woe to them tuat call
evil good. and good evil; which iusti-
fy the wicked for reward"
Very respectfully.
ROCHESTER, tOkD,