The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-02
Local Government on Trial.

Sheriff Justus of Ramsey county an
nounces that after a week has passed ne
will follow the example Of Sheriff Dreger
of Hennepin county, and start big vans
out to seize the property of persons delin-
quent in personal taxes. The success OF
this method Of cornering tax dodgers III
Minneapolis is an illustration Of how we'll
the law can be enforced when officials
charged with responsibility for Its en-
fdcement exert themselves. There Is no
manner Of doubt that Sheriff Justus will
get most of the taxes he goes after.
The van idea Of collecting delinquent
taxes might be applied in all departments
of state and local administration. Much
of the lawlessness and lack OF respect OF
law from which the country Is just now
suffering is due to the laxity OF officials,
to their failure to do their duty and earn
their salaries. A prosecuting attorney
for example. has a larger trust than mere
ly to attend to matters that are forced
to his attention. Like Mr.. Folk, in st.
Louis, he should be on the watch for vio-
lations Of the law. And SO with every
public official-he should take the initia-
1--WE III Ills OllCS, tllO llOI Nc IlAO SAe"'S ~
routine, custom and precedent eager to
fill his office long on little work. It Is
well known that in all It's various func-
tions the federal administration Is more
efficient than state or local adm1ntstra-
ton The law breaker who may regard
a state warrant with complaccncy Is filled
with terror when a United States marshal
I; r I,,,{,o {cfr Inns
in high license Or prohibition districts are
rarely If ever, able to cope with blind
pigs, but every one Of those institutions
pays Uncle Sam an internal revenue tax.
It is this knowledge of the superior eff
fciency of the federal government that
causes people to turn to 1t instinct1vely
when they, are disturbed by lawlessness
They know that if a mob is to be crushed
the regular soldiers are the men to do IT.
The complete breakdown Of Justice in
some localities in the United States is
causing many people seriously to favor ar
extension of federal power. Yet it is not
for the best interests Of the republican
principles and practice for GENERALIZATION
to go much farther than 1t has gone. Home
rule in home affairs is the conversions
Of successful democracy. But If loca
democracies are not equal to the task O
governing themselves it will not be Ions
before people everywhere will turn to thu
power that they know can preserve orde
and enforce law. Local self government
can be prof1tablyr paid for at pretty higl
price in ineficiency and disorder, blu
there is point at which peace and Sc
curity and the repression Of crime ap
peal more strongly to people than tn
right to govern themselves. 1t is thu
seen that mob rule is a very great men
ace to our institutions. IF local self-gov
erning units can conquer the mob, a.
will be well; If they can not, nothing
more certain than that In the end the
will have to retire and make way for
power that will do what they can not
This power may be the federal govern
rnent or it may be the state government
but whichever it is, it will mean dimin
ution Of the authority of those local self
governing bodies which have heretofor
been sc wonderfully harmonized with
strong central government.