The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-21

oughly learned the revolution will be
victorious and representative government
will be enthroned.
Honesty Is Best Politics.
political parties are beginning to learn
that honesty is after all the best poll
tics The people will no longer respond
to the empty sound of mere party names;
but a party must stand for something
and mean something. Corrupt men use
to hide behind the party dress and when
ever attacked would cry out that the
party was being assaled. The people
have learned that CRATER is a CRATER
still whether he calls himself a democrat
OF republican Grafters do not recognize
allegiance to any party. They work with
both sides. They shout party fealty to
the multitude and then make common
traffic of party loyalty for their own
profit. The-private citizen often becomes
a mere pawn in the game of the grafters.
The time has come when good citizens
put the welfare of the state above the
mere advantage of any one party. Par
tisanship Is a good thing when consistent
with patriotism, but patriotism is high
er virtue than craftsmanship. A new day
has dawned In our political life The
moral idea in politics has come to stay.
The wave of the patriotism OF peace Will
go on with ever increasing force. Thls
does not mean the destruction of politi-
cal parties, but the putting of political
parties on a higher plane. There has
been much talk since the recent elections
of doing away with the old political par
ties or the forming of a new one. The
first would be impossible and the second
Is entirely unnecessary. The TIVE great
political parties can furnish every ele-
ment of governmental reform when cou-
pied with a large and healthy measure
of pOlitical INDEPENDENCE
1.-THE first would be impossible and the
second is entirely unnecessary. The two
great political parties can furnish every
element of governmental reform, when
coupled with large ad healthy measure
of political independence. 1t Is unneces-
sary In furtherance of moral principles
to destroy old parties but 1t is neces-
sary to overthrow the corrupt elements
in all parties.
Lawessness Is Greatest Evil.
1.-THE greatest enemy to representative
governments, the root of all evil in pub
lie affairs, is lawlessness. In republic
the government rests entirely upon the
law which the people make for them
selves The law represents the sover-
eighty of the people and the rule of law
means the rule of the people, for ma
jority; of the people make the laws. 1t
! Is more difficult however. to get good
laws enforced than it is to enact them.
The easy notification of laws by execu-
tive officials is one of the greatest evils
of our day. Too many officials feel them
selves more bound by what they think
is public. sentiment than the law. No
official has the right to violate the oath
he takes to enforce the law simply be-
cause some people do not want the law
enforced. If public sentiment Is to be
the arbitrator of whether laws are to be
enforced or not, laws lose all their sol
emnity and binding force. But an active
public conscience all over the land today
is now demanding that every official keep
his oath invioate. We need more respect
for existing law rather than more laws.
The corporation magnate should be COM
PEELED to respect the law that regulates
the conduct OF the corporation as he asks
others to respect the law that protects
the property oflthe corporation. The an
archy of capital breeding lawlessness
should no more be tolerated than the an
archy of labor breeding riot and disor-
der. There Is too little respect for the
majesty of the law in America, and laws
to be effective must be respected. The
perpetinty of government depends upon
the manner In which the laws of that gov
eminent are carried out The laws of
state are the life of that state and no
man loves his state that deliberately dis
obeys its laws.
1.-THE trust magnate defies the laws of
the state against combinations and mo-
nopolies and then calls for tho protection
of the state for his property. The dram
shop people wants the law enforced
against the man who robs his cash draw
er, but thinks he has right to break
the law requiring his saloon to close on
Sunday. The burglar detests the law
breaking of the trust, but considers the
statute against housebrealSing as an in
reference with his personal liberty. The
boodler has no use for the pickpocket.
but thinks the statute against bribery
is blue law. Every law looks blue to the
man who wants to break 1t. No govern
ment could long exist Where every man
is his own law maker
Exposures Do Good.
lone of the impediments TO representa-
tive government through the law Is the
idea that some have that 1t Injuries a
state or city or nation to have exposures
of wrongdoing. No state can be injured
by the enforcement Of law. No nation
can be hurt by exposing wrongdoing.
either public or private. And If any BUSH
ness Is hurt by an investigation 1t shows
that something has been wrong and that
T. should be hurt. There is no secret
remedy for evils of this character. They
cannot be cured by hiding them. The
disgrace is In submitting to them by In
difference-not in their correction. The
distinguishing characteristics for the
movement Of higher ideals In public life