The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1906-02-14

following extract from an address re-
Gently delivered at Covington by Gov
ernor Folk, of Missouri, before the
State Bar Association, and it is hereby
printed as a powerful contribution to
the current literature of the day upon
civic affairs:
In a monarchy the government is
sustained by the power of the crown;
in republic the government rests en-
tirely upon the laws which a majority
of the people make for themselves. If
all the laws were ignored, anarchy
would be the result-tbere would be
no government at all. When any por-
ton Of the laws are not enforced, the
government is weakened to that ex-
tent. Laws that are not observed add
just as much to good government as
sores do to the human body. Disregard
of one law breeds contempt for ali laws,
and laws to be effective must be re-
spected. There is entirely too little re-
spect for the majesty of the law in
America. This inevitably leads to cor
ruption, which will, if tolerated, eat
Tito and destroy civic life. If a dram
shop is allowed to remain open at a
time the law demands it be closed. then
the gambling laws can not be consist
emily enforced, then o;her offenses de-
nounced by law must be tolerated, then
comes grating by officials tor overlook
ing these violations, then Legislators,
imbued by the same spirit, sell their
votes for bride money, and a reign OF
corruption follows. The perpetuity of
our Government depends upon the
manner in which our laws are carried
out. Nearly every State has laws on
the statute books to which no attention
is paid, and they reap the fruits by
having all laws broken. l am not an
alarmist when l say, if these conditions
be tolerated, the republic itself Will
sooner or later fall by the props of the
law on which 1t rests, being weakent
and deeayed. Americans are accus
toned to regard a republican form OF
government IS a natural condition.
That government is mortal and can die
Is thought so entirely foreign to our
conditions that it is folly in the minds
of some to discuss it. a glance at his
tory does not lend encouragement to
this cheerful view. Our republic,
though the best, is not the first nor the
oldest. We have lasted now one hun
dred and twentY-nine years. Venice
had a republican form of government
for 1,l00 years; Carthage, 700 years
Athens, with various intermissiOns
800 years; Florence, 300, and Rome
500 years. These governments have
long ago passed from the stage of the
world, and some Of tlYss are little re.
memoere7Tt KY, Feb. 1.-nment were
feroLw edne~aV van Uagng Ter and ther
- : on4ate, &tin AFT history as
one of the most splendid and shortest
lived among the wrecks with which
the shores of time are strewn. Wha
caused the downfall of these govern
ments by the people? The people
made laws until the laws became Sc
many the people began to disregard
their own laws. The laws of Rome
were good; indeed, the Justinian Code
is said to be the most perfect system
of laws ever devised by man, yet Rom,
rotted and fell even while this code wal
in operation. The laws were right, bu
the hearts Of the people were not right
and the laws were not obeyed. Wher
the laws ceased TO reign, the govern
ment resting upon that foundation Of
law commenced to topple over.
The reign of law means the rule o
the people, for majority of the people
make the laws. They register theil
will, crystalized in the form of statutes
We need a revival of the rule of the
people. Four years ago, the laws
against bribery in all the United States
was considered practically dead let
ter. Up to that time, for the fifty
years preceding, there had only been
about thirty-four cases of bribery re
ported In the books in all the United
States. When the prosecutions were
commenced in st. Louis, the members
of the House OF Delegates denounced
the bribery law as a '.blue law" and as
forced before. They argued that mem
bers of the House of Delegates having
been taking brides from time imme-
mortal. they had acquired right to do
so and it was Just as proper for them to
sell their votes as for a merchant to
sell his wares. Here was a crime worse
than any other, for bribery strikes at
the foundation of all law, yet the law
denouncing it was not enforced. Men
gave brides and thought nothing OF it +;
men took brides and boosted of the
fact; corrupt men Toasted and iattened
at the public expense; legislative halls
became deus of thieves; laws became
merchandise on the market, and all this
time the public conscience was asleep.
When the revelations came and the
people saw how they had been plum
dered and realized that a government
by bribery was government by the
wealth of few and not by tie people,
they saw the offense in all its enormIty,
ana from one end of the land to the
other there was civic awakening.
Now everywhere officials are made tn
account at the bar of public opinion
for all official acts. and those who pros
titute their trusts and sell the powers
that belong not to them bur to the peo-
pie are being made to answer for their
offenses And yet four years ago the
bribery law was denounced as blue
law" by those against whom it was
sought to be enforced. Every law is a
blue law, il a man wants to break it.
The ncn-eniorcement of the bribery
statutes might be explained by the dif.
dculty Of securing evidence OF its viola
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