Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-28
Enforce the Law,

If called upon to name the most
fragrant cause of lawlessness in this
country we would have no hesitation
in saying that II Is remissness on the
part Of those whose duty 1t Is to en-
force the law.
From all that has come down to us,
Rome, under the first republic, had
the best government the world has ever
seen, either before or since, and the
reason of it was that the laws were
not only just, good and wholesome, but
they were enforced without fear or IA
vor.
One of the most notable examples
of the administration of justice for the
sake of justice alone, in the history of
the world was that which went on rec
ord when Lucius Junius Brutus sat in
judgment over his two sons and con-
demned them to death for treason
against the republic.
The action of Brutus was considered
unnatural by many even in his day, and
now it is almost incomprehensible; but
nevertheless it was right. The penalty
of the law was death. There was alb
solutely no question Of the proof and
representing not himself but the law,
why should just judge have refrain
ed from visiting on his own son that
punishment which he would have, as
a matter of course, and without giving
occasion for comment, pronounced
against the son of any other citizen?
No man who has proper apprecia-
tion of the position of the judge in this
case will question the correctness of
his action. Had the power Brutus ex-
ercised been his own, he would have
been free to do as he might wish; but
he realized that the power was not his
that it was his merely to interpret the
will of the law, and from that there
was no escape.
But this old spirit is rare today.
There is as much patriotism now prob
ably as there ever was; but there is
less realization of the responsibilities
of citizenship. Where then men look
ed upon public office as a trust Of the
highest responsibility, too many of them
now look upon such position as merely
furnishing the opportunity to crafty
personal ambition and to promote the
private interests of themselves and re-
tainers.
1t is a fact that in large measure to-
| 10, inia Of tt-Iri in o.
to benefit the public, of being useful to
their country or their fellow citizens.
AS a general thing their only aim Is
to surround themselves with such
backing and support as will help them
to power, and they do not hesitate to
divide out smaller positions among
lesser politicians purely in considera-
ton of aid in securing plumber.
1t is not an uncommon thing in this
day and time to see INSCRIPTIONS poll
ticians use their influence with judges
and solicitors in behalf of notoriously
guilty offenders, and often the consid-
GRAFTON of such influence is that the
offenders give service to the politicians
favor thus secured.
There are men in every community
who pursue wealth and position by du-
bious methods, frequently violating the
criminal and other laws; but usually
taking care that the offences they COM
nit are against poor and helpless citi-
Zens who are not likely to have suffi-
cient prestige to be able to bring them
to justice. These offences are COM
mitted almost daily in the sight of the
general public which though cognizant
Of what is going on is usually too