The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-03-29
COY. FOLK ON MISSOURI IDEA
DECLARES IT MEANS THE EN-
 FoRcEMENT OF LAWS.

Entirely Too Little Respect for Law in
 America--In Every State Are Found
 Laws NulIity for PoIicy's Sake Such Thing Unknown in Any Other
 Land-Lethargy of People.
 New York, March 2S. Ex-Governor Jo- seph W. Folk was the guest of honor and the principal speaker at the ban auet of the Missouri society at the waldorf tonight. At the right of the governor sat District Attorney Jerome, who also made brief address. Gov ernor Folk spoke as follows:
 .The Missouri idea means the en-3 forcement of law, and that if the law be bad, the remedy is to repeal, not tc ignore it. There is entirely too little respect for law in America. In every state we find laws a nullity for policy s sake. Such thing is unknown in any other land. Disregard for one law breeds disrespeet for all laws, In allow ing some laws to go unenforced, We reap a harvest in having all laws brok- en. The law may not be to ones lik. ing, but the answer 1t is the law should be sufficient for the laW-abiding. Good men will observe even bad laws, but bad men will break even good laws It should be that all men, good and bad. be compelled to keep all laws, good and bad, because it is the law. But how careless people usually are as to whether laws are enforced or not, This lethargy gives rise to civic evils. Indeed nearly all public wrongs grow out of the indifference of the people, There are many who thrill with pa triotic fervor at the thought of go- Ing to war and risking their lives for their country, but who forget to vote on election day. The patriotism of peace is just as necessary as the patri- otism of war The patriotism of the ballot is even more necessary in a free country than the patriotism of bul, let. Plenty of men will die for their country but the man who will live for his city and state every day, is the man good government needs. There is constant conflict between evil and good and evil must always be fought against, else the good will be over come. The useful grain the farmer sows does not grow as if by chance, but must be cared for and protected while the thistle, scattered by chance and cared for by accident, will four ish everywhere. So good government does not exist by accident. The seeds must be sown and the plant matured and defended, else the weeds will grow up and choke it.
 1.-The government never neglects the people unless the people first neglect the government. No government, city state or national, was ever better than the people made it, or worse than they suffered it to become. The people are the ultimate source of governmental power. Good citizens make good laws but no law can make good citizens When the people grow lax in the dis charge of their public obligations the government grows corrupt, and the very foundations of national life are poisoned, justice is thwarted and in- iquity enthroned. The gratest and gravest dangers which beset a. free ma, tion proceed not from without, but from within. HG4s
 ."States and cities do not consist of mortar and brick and stone, but the character of their citizenship. We must preserve that civic character our fore fathers left to us, else our nation will go as others have gone before.''~.. t :
 Dr. Henry W. Pritchett, president ot the Massachusetts Institute of Teeh- nology and William Hepburn Russell were the other sneakerss