The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-02-11


ing predict for yen a most interesting
and profitable session. Cairo will do
herself proud TO entertain so promi
nent and influential a body of rep
resentative citizens.
You come from all parts of this
great state of Illinois to exchange
ideas and compare notes as TO how
best make a progressive but still an
economical government This ex.
change of ideas must result in better
government 1t inspires and implants
principles of honest morality and a
sincere desire 10 faithfully perform
our duties as public officials. Com
ing in touch. shoulder to shoulder
with the difficult problems which con
from us, we are better able to solve
them and thus give better public
service.
Every government cosists of three
vital and important parts, known in
government study as legislative or
law-making; the executive or law-en,
forcing; and the judicial or law.inter
preting departments Each is entire
ly distinct and apart in itself from
the other but still united in one great
whole our government
But still these three departments,
however are not entirely distinct,
for the executive holds the veto
power. a check to the legislative; and
the legislative holds the judicial pow
er of impeachment and the executive
power of the confirmation OF appoint
ments made by the executive officer
The judiciary power even has a form
of executive power in compelling men
to obey the laws. and officers to per.
form their several duties.
Each department seems distinct
but each vitally connected as check
over the other, With the Constitution
as the supreme law of the land and
nation as the unit or model OF govern
ment all othesr follow.
State. county and town all small
units of the whole but each whole
in itself. All consists of the three de-
partments. The purpose of these
smaller units is to bring the govern
ment closer to the people that they
may feel themselves a part and thus
more Interested in ten success of the
whole. ,ttf
The county government Is admin.
istered by officials THAT Is you, gen.
tlemen) elected by the people OF the
county. You make the rules for do
ing the things that need to he done
in your county and which are not pro-
vided for by the state laws, You, the
county boards, are then the legisla-
tive department of the county govern
ment You make the rules for the
building OF roads and bridges, for fix
ing and collecting taxes; for the care
of the poor, for the fixing of county
officials salaries. and enforcing the
county and state laws You see that
your rules are enforced, thus becom
ing also the executive department OF
the county government
You select the grand and petit jur-
orS for the courts which interpret
your rules and the state laws. Yon
members of the couny boards tsuper-
visors and commissioners are in a
sense all the departments Of the gov
eminent in one You make, you exc
cute. and You interpret the rules of
your own board That you will do
this well is the trust the people put
in you. You are not banded for faith
ful service as the officials under you,
but the people put faith in your in
fegrity and honesty of purpose and
fair dealing. with man TO man. and
iselect you to guide the ship of state
TO its harbor of peace and progress
Among the many duties you are TO
perform these stand out clear and
distinct to nay mind as ones to be
emphasized In words more eloquent
and more impressive than can tell.
Your tl.ity in selecting the grand
Jury and men to be drawn for the
petit Jury Is one that should be care
fully performed by an act Of your best
judgment These are the men who
act in behalf of law and order and
Should not be selected without close
study Men are guilty or innocent as
weighed In their balance What re-
sponsibiIity devolves upon these and
upon you in selecting them They
should not be men favored for some
past aid Or interest shown in your
last success But business men of
ability and honesty of purpose 1t
might be interesting to look back
ward some time over the records Of
past lists and see what a fixed prin-
ciple is in psychology that as the
mind acts II tends to aci again