The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-09-28
THE LAW OF ETHICS, EQUITY AND
CIVIC RIGHTEOUSNESS.

lproperly, honestly and lntelLgenJly dulnlHls
tered. is the greatest guarantee OF the ENJOY
ment Of personal rights and secured privileges
that we have. So far has the exercise of wha
is termed the police power Of the state, under
our form of government, suppanted the gen
eral statutory laws of our commonwealths thai
but little IS left for them to do, in upholdlnE
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 hagran
violation Of law. This is due, largely, to the
tendency of the people to form themselves lnt(
communities and thickly populated districts
and for that reason otfenses, almost OF neces
sity, partake of petty nature; as well as pc
cause Of the number and efficiency OF mlnol
officials who discover the violations OF law anc
check crime in it's incipiency.
But no form of government, however good
or however well administered, can accomplish
the end for which it was created without hay
ing for it's support the loyal and hearty coop
Grafton Of an enlightened christian citizenship
From such 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 a universal recognition that the
guardians Of the law speak with authority, and
that they must be obeyed. It is not only not
enough that all men should be good, law-abid-
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 in 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
violations and violators of law and to be ag-
gressive in the punishment of all offenders: II
every good citizen would do his duty in that
regard, we would not be far from civic right
eousness. With every citizen thus enlisted in
the cause of good government, we could carry
out lofty ambitions and secure high ideals.
Such an evidence Of civic pride and public
spirit would be significant of moral upheava
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.
If we can't do away with the hidden and
more secret causes of corruption and unright-
eousness, we certainly can drive out the blind
tigers and shut up the bawdy houses and pre-
vent them running against public decency.
Common decency demands that much at our
hands.
By making an effort for civic righteousness
the possibility for good will be greater, the am
bition cf our citizens will be heightened and
their ability to do and to accomplish will be
broadened and deepened. No man has right
to retard the progress of civilization or to lower
the standards of good citizenship in the com
munity where he resides, nor to foist upon it
opinions of ignorance, selfishness and narrow
mindedness.
Every man in any community owes it to
the community to be good, honest, law-abid-
ing citizen: and every good citizen owes it to
the community to add to it, by contributing
to it IKE best of his efforts in doing what viii
add TO the betterment of it and not to the worst,
and nobody who is able to do good has right
to throw away his opportunity by the privil-
eges he has, or to lessen his ability to bo-