The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-09-26
PERTINENT 'EPIGRAMS
GOVERNOR FOLK:
From the Address Delivered at Lake
side, Madison, Wis.

If Adam lived through all these
centuries and received SITS a day
not SITS a year-he would not be as
rich as some of our experts of the
financial class. But the world is get
ting better every day. The people
are correcting things as fast as they
can. The people are going we'll.
Some four years ago prominent
citizen of St. Louis said he would
like to die for his country; two weeks
later he was hailed into a court of
justice for bribing an entire Legis-
lature. He had patriotism on his lips
and treason in his heart; he wanted
to die for his country and he would
not live for his country.
Everyday living patriotism is more
essential than wartime fighting pa
triotism.
It is as important-more impor-
tant-to fight to get good men into
Office as it is to bare ones breast to
bullets of the enemy; and it requires
more courage, too, for the lawbreak-
ers make nue. noise.
A dozen lawbreakers make more
noise than 400 laN-abiding citizens.
The lawless have not the strength
in politics iha. they claim.
The people of right thought and
those who obey the laws and will vote
for the enforcement Of the law far
outnumber those who graft or wink
at grating.
Some men think they are too good
to mix in politics. He who is too good
to take an active interest in politics
is too good to be citizen of America.
Every man is kim here. He has
a part of the responsibility of soyer-
eighty. He that is faithloss in little
is not to be trusted in larger things.
All laws should be enforced. If
any are bad they should be repealed
That is the remedy.
The trust denounces the law-break-
ing pickpockct, but thinks it has
perfect right to violate the anti-com-
binatiol statutes.
The burglar abhors the trust law
breaker, but thinks the law against
housebreaking is aninterference with
his personal liberty.
The saloonkeeper thinks the law to
protect his cash drawer from the
thief a good law, but hates the law
requiring his saloon to close on Sun
day.
You can't pick out this law or that
and say you will not enforce it.
! The powers of evil, the law-break-
ers, will support candidate for pros
ecuting attorney or sheriff, taking an
agreement from him that'in' consider
alton Of their support he will not en-
force laws that they do notlike. That
is embezzlement Of power and bar
tering of sacred trust.
=
The time is about here when en-
bezzlement of power will be held as
bad as enbezzlement of money.
Those who make money by non-en-
forcement Of law do not make their
case on the honest ground of their
own private interest, but like the
shrine maker of Ephesus, who praised
the greatness Of Diana, they place
their case or other ground, and loud
ly proclaim about threatened inter-
ference with the liberties of the peo-
pie.
Liber.y to make law" does not
mean license to break laws.
+
Some of our great merchant
princes have been found to be lew
breakers by taking rebates from rail-
roads. They did rot think it was
wrong.
The public conscience is awakened.
1t has declared many things wrong
that were thought to be all right and
honest.
I have found the railroad pass to
be one of the most insidious forms of
bribery.
The railroads are entitled to fair
treatment, but not to any special
privileges. They have no right to
send their professional lobbyists to
debauch legislatures.
You can't cure corruption by hid"
ing it. There is no secret remedy