The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-12-10

Attorney General, and 1t IS earnestly
hoped that it will be acted upon ia
vorably. Moreover, our experience
shows that outsiders claiming political
influence some times sell their in
fluence to candidates for Office, or, in
other words, blackmail these candi-
dates. There should be legislation
which will permit of summary dealing
with such offenders.
However, the prime need Is not new
legislation, but the punishment Of
those who offend existing laws. The
Postofice Department is making GER
tain changes in the methods OF admin
istration, notably in the method Of in
spection. by which the service will be
improved and the chance Of corruption
existing without discovery be minimi-
zed; but the only way to meet the real
evil is to punish the offenders, by re-
moyal in any event, and where pos
sible by prosecution under the criminal
statutes. In any great business, public
or private, wrong-doing is certain at
times to occur. The way to guard
against it is vigorously to scrutinize the
character OF those appointed, carefully
to supervise their actions after ap-
pointment and, finally, to punish with
relentless severity those who 60 wrong.
All this Is being done.
The immediate reformation OF the
service by the turning out OF the cases
against both those within and those
without the Postofiice Department,
VINO, by their acts, have brought them
selves within the grasp Of the law,
viii be pushed with the utmost vigor.
Every effort must be made to see that
both the delinquent official and the out
slider who shares his guilt are punished
to the limit of the law. In pursuance
CT this policy the individuals above
enumerated have been indicted. In no
case has the indictment been sought,
save where the officials of the govern
mcnt were convinced Of the mans guilt
and in everv case the government will
exhaust every eXpedient in its power in
the effort to see that justice is meted
out to the offenders. Those in the pub
lie service whose duty it is must ever
be vigilant in the detection Of wrong
doing. fearless in its exposure, relent-
less in it's prosecution; but, in the last
resort. when everything which the pub
lie official, whether legislator, Judge or
executive officer, can do has been done,
it remains for the jury, drawn from
the people and representing the people
to do even-handed justice, shielding
the innocent, but declining to be mis-
led by any plea refraining from punish
mcnt Of the guilty.
No crime calls for sterner reproba-
ton than the crime Of the corruptionist
in public life, and Of the man who seeks
to corrupt him. The bribe-giver and
the b.be-taker are equally guilty.
Both alike sin against the primary law
of the States safety. All questions OF
difference in party policy sink into in
significance when the people Of this
country are brought face to face with
a question like this, which lies at the
root Of honest and decent government.
On this question, and on all others like
It. we can afford to have no division
among good citizens. In the last re-
sort, good laws and good administration
alike must rest upon the broad basis
Of sound public opinion. A dull public
conscience, an easy-going acquiescence
in corruption, infallibly means debase-
ment, in the end means the ruin of our
institutions. Self-government becomes
a farce IL the representatives Of the
people corrupt others or are themselves
corrupted. Freedom is not gift which
will tarry long in the hands Of the
dishonest or Of those so foolish or so
incompetent as to tolerate dishonesty
In their public servants. Under our
system, all power cones from the peo-
pie, and all punishment rests ultimate
ly with the people. The toleration OF
the wrong, not the exposure Of the
wrong, Is the real offense.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.