The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-09-29
THE LAW OF ETHICS, EQUITY AND
CIVIC RIGHTEOUSNESS.


tered, is the greatest guarantee of the enjoy
ment of personal rights and secured privilege
that we have. So far has the exercise of wha
is termed the police power Of the state, hnde
our form of government, supplanted the gen
eral statutory laws of our commonwealths tha
but little is left for them to do, in upholdinl
law and preserving order, save in their viola
ton of the commission of some of the mos
heinous offenses, such as murder, rape arson
burglary, robbery, etc., and the most fagran
violation of law. This is due, largely, to tn,
tendency of the people to form themselves int
communities and thickly populated districts
and for that reason offenses, almost of neees
sity, partake of petty nature; as we'll as be
cause of the number and efficiency of minor
officials who discover the violations of law anC
check crime in its incipiency.
But no form of government, however good
or however well administered, can accomplish
the end for which it was created without hav.
ing for its support the loyal and hearty coop
Grafton of an enlightened christian citizenship
From such a source come all the officials
who administer the affairs of government, and
from the same source comes that great over
powering moral influence, public opinion, that
commands respect for law and order.
In the very nature of our form of govern
ment there is universal recognition that the
guardians of the law speak with authority, and
that they must be obeyed. 1t is not only not
enough that all men should be good, law-abd-
ing citizens in their daily intercourse with each
other in their various relations as part of the
municipality, and in upholding the majesty of
the law, but they should be clean ii. their in-
dividual lives, full enough of civic pride to en-
list deep interest in every measure that gives
promise of public good, and to be sufficiently
familiar with the functions of every office to
know when it is properly administered, and,
above all, to be open and outspoken against
and violators of law and to be az
gressive in the punishment of all offenders. If
every good citizen would do his duty in that
regard We would not be far from civic right
With every citizen thus enlisted in
the cause Of good government We could carry
out lofty ambitions aud secure high ideals.
Such an evidence OF civic pride and public
spirit would be esignifeant Of a moral upheaval
that would uproot evil from our midst and give
US a moral atmosphere that would be whole
some for our women and children to live in.
II we can't do away with the hidden and
more secret causes of corruption and unright-
sousness, We certainly can drive out the blind
igers and shut up the bawdy houses and pre-
fent them running against public decency
Common decency demands that much at our
lands.
By making an effort for civic righteousness
be possibility for good will be greater, the am
tion Of our citizens will be heightened and
heir ability to do and to accomplish will be
roadened and deepened. No man has a right
D retard the progress Of civilization or to lower
he standards of good citizenship in the COM
lunity where he resides, nor to foist upon It
pinions Of ignorance, selfshness and narrow
lindedness.
Every man in any community owes It to
ie community to be a good. honest, law-abid-
lg citizen: and every good citizen owes il to
le community TO add to it, by contributing
, It the best Of his efforts in doing whas win
Id to the betterment Of it and not to the worst,
nd nobody who IS able to DO good has a right
] throw away his opportunity by the privil-
yes he has, or to lessen bis ability to boz