Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1903-11-06

fetal functions solely for the public
good. Officials are trustees OF an ex.
pressed trust to be administered for
the public good, not for private gain.
An official has no right to use the
powers given him for his " ends.
He can embezZle the peoples power
as well as the peoples money. One
in public Office has no more right to
use his official functions for personal
ends than he would have to put his
hands into the public treasury to pay
q private debt.
c~ommendable to Punish Crime.
So long as the Democratic party
serves the public better than any
other party. it is entitled to credit for
selecting faithful public servants, and
It cannot escape responsibility for
the unfaithful. No party has a mo.
nOpoly IN the %virtuous; neither are
the vicious confined to one party. The
wedding out of public corruption
should be the mission of the Demo-
cratic party. A Democratic law.
breaker Is no better tina a Republican
l~aw.breaker. DO not agree with the
Republican statesman who, when told
that both candidates for a certain
Office were rascals, said: well, who
is our damn rascal?" A rascal Is no
less 81 by calling himself a Democrat.
! believe in exposing and furnishing
Democratic rascals the same as Re
publican rascals; Democrats just a
little bit more than Republicans, be-
cause they should know better. OF
ficials are not elected to prosecute
only political opponents, but to enforce
the law impartially against all OF.
tenders. The cloak OF Democracy
should be torn from him who tries to
use 1t to hide his corruption. II
w~rOng-doing exists, the sooner 1t Is
discovered and stopped, the better for
the party and state. ! do not believ
In closing our eyes to corruption, Tor
fear that by making a fuss about 1t
the party might be injured. The only
way to stamp out corruption Is to hit
1t and hit it hard whenever and where.
ever It shows itself. Let the people
know who the rascals are. No honest
man can be injured by exposure OK
the truth. The Democratic party
stands for enforcement of law. 1t
should not injure any party to get rid
of public p%lunderers. There are hood
lers in the Democratic party. but for
my part | dc not propose to allow
them to make me give up my party,
but ! propose to do all | can to get
them out Of the party.
No Compromise.
The slogan must be:
n compromise with public plum
dcrcrs."
The Democratic party should stand
for the Missouri idea"-the unrc,crt-
ing exposure and punishment Of Oiiicial
graftcrs. The Democratic party should
bring about the day in Missouri when
official integrity will be as sacred as
female virtue and as ~Zeaiously guard
ed. 1T is time" said Samuel j.
Tilden, the great Democrat, ito an.
nOunce and enforce the decree that he
who plumbers the people, though he
steal the livery Of heaven to serve the
devil in, is no Democrat" That doc
trine should be as Democratic now as
it was when Tildcn Numbered against
the civic evils Of his day. The boodler
Is neither Democrat nor Republican;
le Is, above all, a public enemy.
enforcement of Law.
The Democratic party stands for
law and order. The failure to enforce
the law bcgcts corruption. The laws
are made to be enforced. not to be
~disregardcd. If the law be bad. the
remedy Is to repeal, not TO ignore,
When some laws are not enforced, lack
az respect for all law Is engendered,
There Is entirely too little respect for
the majesty of the law in America,
The reason Is the laxity with which
laws are enforced. Too often officials
are SO bound up by entangling promises
made TO secure party nominations OF
elections, that When they get In office
their hands are tied. The doctrine
that all are equal before the law
sounds well. but has a rather startling
effect when put into practice. The
prosecuting Ofic will find himself the
subject of the most vicious personal
attacks from those he Is trying tC
bring to justice without malice or III
will. II is easy enough to bring W
some wretch who picks a pocket OF
steals a loaf OF bread, but 1t il quite
another thing when the law Is put
against those who clean out whole mu
nicipal larders and plumber the people
OF IN entire city or state.
| would like to see the law admin
istered In Missouri so evenly, SO fairly
so justly that no man will be abov'