East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-09-15
OUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS.

office they support him in all the evil
that he does, says Governor Joseph
Folk, of Missouri. Bad citizens are
: combined good citizens are divided.
That is the chief cause of lawbreak-
ing. II good citizens would join hands
. in patriotic endeavor the lawless could
not control anything. for they consti-
tute but a small proportion of the en-
. tire population. The effectiveness of
. law depends upon how 1t is executed.
When the prosecuting officer is at
tempting to enforce the Jaw against
. those of power he may find himself
. besieged on every side; close political
friends may plead. inducements and
hopes may be held out FOR lessened
. activity; annihiaton may be threat
. ened if he proceeds. Pursuing steadily
the course that he has mapped out,
with the good of the people alone in
. view, he may find himself hedged in
. at times by a wall of hostile influ-
ences, but now and then, looking be-
yond to that great public that he is
|. serving, a friendly glance or a kindly
clasp of an outstre tched hand will
cheer and encourage him for further
effort. He cannot expect the good
opinion Of those against whom he
i apforcas tho low Tba,r an ,,-;Il is tI,a
best evidence of his sincerity. Every
pressure may be brought to bear to
swerve him from his conception of
honest effort. If once he falters his
usefulness as a public servant is gone.
It may be far easier for him to allow
some offense to go by unnoticed. but
he should rather have the approval of
| his conscience than the plaudits of
those who would profit by his neglect
of duty
/ Corrupt men support a man for Of
flee and expect in return the privilege
are elected to enforce the law and
have no more right to permit lawless-
ness to repay personal obligations than
they would have to use the public
funds to pay private debt. When all
executive officials are ruled by law
no man could be above the law and
the law would reign over all.
Such condition would be the high
est form of civilization. The indiffer-
ence of electors is the weakness of a
republican form of government.
To arouse good men to action is a
Those who would destroy the laws are
always active and work while good
citizens sleep, but once the latter are
aroused they are invincible. If the
people want a reign of law they can
| get it, but they must fight for It.
There is the same conflict between law
and lawlessness as between the true
and the false, the right and the wrong,
the evil and the good The people will
| upnOlQ tne laws Wnen lIey understand
the necessity of it, for the vast ma
jority of the people will do right when
they know right There never was a
time when unselfish teachers of the
public were needed more than now.
Lawyers more than any other class
should be the teachers of the people
They can do much If they are true to
their calling to remedy the things
that dishonor. AS they are ministers
OF the law it is their duty to keep the
fountains of law pure and undefiled.
The person who in private life dis
charges the civic responsibilities rest
ing upon him may perform as great
public service as he who faithfully
does his duty in public office.
Indeed. the public official is a re-
Election of the private citizen, as the
public life of a nation is a reflection
| Of its private life.