The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1906-01-06
DRUNKENNESS IN OFFICE "A REMEDY
DEMANDED.

slQeS many 0tneI eXcelIent recon-
mendations, contains the follow
ing caustic and timely paragraphs
THE most unnecessary and in
excusable of all forms of officia
Idereliction or misdemeanor, is
| drunkenness in Office. The man
| whose brain is ever excited or
stupefed by drink is unfit to per-
form the function of any Office.
Laws which originate in the whis-
lky-soaked brain of a legislative
officer are necessarily defective,
and the administration or execu-
| tion of the law by drunken Off
Ger universally inspires contempt
for the law. The example of
such an officer is most pernicious
in its influence upon the people
and should not be tolerated.
Il submit for your considera-
tion legislation upon this subject
and urge upon you the necessity
for more stringent laws, which
can be invoked by suffering pub
lie to rid themselves of the incu-
bus of an incompetent, drunken
officer. And be sure that the rem
edy which you may provide for
this insufferable nuisance be
made to apply to the highest as
we'll as the lowest officer in the
IState. Itshould be universal in
its application = the penalty in
creasing in severity as we ascend
the scale of dignity and import.
lance OF the ofice.:'
| The minds of the Governor and
the editor of The Leader have
been running in the same channel
on this subject and they have
reached the same conclusion-that
the present Legislature ought to
provide the people with a better
means than the law now prescribes
for relief from the 'insufferable
nuisance" and shame of drunken
public officials. When it was an
nounced that the Governor was at
work on his message, we thought
strongly of writing him a letter,
requesting him to make such a
recommendation as he has made
above, but omitted to do so. We
are glad he has done so without
any suggestion from US. It is
not unlikely from the force and
feeling with which he speaks that
His Exeellency has been impress
Led by what he has observed
around the State House during
the last two years, with the great
importance of better legal rem
edy on this subject than The peo-
pie now have.
But whether the Governor has
witnessed official station, decency
and obligation degraded and
abused by drunken legislators
and State officials around the State
House or not, there can be no
doubt that there is a demand all
over the State for reform along
this line in other official circles.
We know there have been cases of
fragrant official dereliction along
this line in Lincoln county, and
from well-founded reports, the
same is true in many others.
One of the best safe guards
against drunkenness in Office, the
people have in their own hands
now-that is, make it a rule not
to vote for known booze fighters
and whisky soaks for any official
| position, and for no candidate
who uses liquor to get elected.
Railroads, express companies and
other corporations and business
men and firms in nearly all lines
are drawing the line on liquor
drinkers and drunkaras and will
mot employ them in positions of
trust and responsibility. As q
commonsense, reasonable PROPOSE
|tion, why should the people elect
a drunkard or whisky soak to be
their public servant and suppose
THAT the public business in bis
hands will be as safe and we'll
looked after as by sober, clear
headed man who always has bis
wits about HING
However, when the people are
deceived or imposed upon and get
an official drunkard on their
hands, there ought to be sure
and speedy means of relief.
The law, as it now stands, pro-
Iyides that
Any officer who shall be gull
|lty Of habitgal drunkenness, OF
lWho shall be drunk while in the
Iactual discharge Of the duties Of
This Office, or when called on to per.
form them, may be indicted there
Ifor, and, upon conviction, shal
be removed from Office,
Here the whole proceeding is
made to hinge on an action by tht