The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-11

ices~tO ootaif It. 10 saese, therefore.
desire to direct your attention. In
way you want freedom of thought in
[ndiana-are you charitable enough to
lot other people exercise the same
privilege? You want freedom to wor-
ship God according to the dictates of
your own consciences-are you brave
enough to worship Him and generous
enough to let every other man find his
way into the presence Of his Maker as
best he may? You want free and I'M
opinion on all public ques-
tions-are you liberal enough to pro-
mote your views without ceasing to be
an American and becoming tyrant?
You believe that upon all questions
you are yourself orthodox-can you
grant your brother the right to enter
tain different view without charging
him with heterodoxy? You want hon.
esty in public affairs-can you be hon
est in your private affairs and not
think it would be wrong to steal a
dollar while right to bribe legislator?
You want economy in expenditure OF
public money-are you willing that
your special interests should be as
economically administered by the state
as you require the interests Of other
citizens to be administered? You
want thoroughly competent men to
serve vou-can YOU be generous
enough to see that this does not nee
essarily imply your selection or the
selection of your personal friend? II
q member Of the minority you believe
the bipartisan management Of state in
situations will promote the best inter.
ests of the state-are you patriotic
enough to see that an election which
changes you from a minority to a ma
jority does not change the principle
upon which these institutions should
be administered?
The governor OF this state is not
authorized by. your written constitu-
ton to make any laws for you. This
is the function of the general assem-
bly,. The governors duty consists in
seeing that when laws are once made,
they are enforced. You say you want
them enforced. Do not think that you
can shirk responsibility for law en-
forcement by berating the officers OF
the law, among whom is the governor
Whenever any complaint comes to me
OF the lack of law enforcement in In
diana, it should not be sent to me as
confidential, because it will not be sc
treated. A citizen is as much bound
to bear his part of the burden of law
enforcement as is the law officer.
shall very promptly send any commu
nication informing me of law violation
to the proper prosecuting attorney
with instructions to call upon the citi
zen to back up in public the charges
which he has privately made to me
II you are willing to do your part O,
the work and any law officer of this
state shall fail, neglect or refuse to dis
charge his duty. the present genera
assembly will, l believe. enact such
legislation as will enable me. to SEE
that the laws of this state are en-
forced. The peace and well-being o.
this state are not conserved by the
multitude of criminal statutes nor the
severity OF punishment. If the number
Of crimes and misdemeancrs were re
duced. the degree of punishment les
sened, and greater effort made to con
vict for every violation of the law. tn,
peace, quietude and good order of thu
state would be greatly increased. I
is the certainty and not the severity o
punishment which lessons the commits
sion of crime. Crime should be crime
to every citizen except the vicious
Legislators have been known to enac
statutes at the instance of interested
parties upon the theory that either tn
law would be automatic or that no al
tention would be paid to it after 1t wa
enacted. 1t is the common experience
OF mankind. whether in republic O
in a monarchy, that to enforce Law
which rises above the moral sentimen
OF the community. such enforcement
breeds perjury. discomfort, bitterness
of feeling and local anarchy. In it
last analysis, regardless OF constitu
tions, statutes and court decisions, tn
law is the moral sentiment of eacl
particular neighborhood. Civic right
eousness as a theory and civic righte
BUSINESS as an accomplished fact ma
be in any community as far apart a
zenith and nadir. The best civic right
eousness is the righteousness of tn
| individual citizen-of the man who i
honest not because it pays, but jus
| because he is: the man who is truth
| full not because it is a good bushes
| asset, but because brain and heart d
| not suggest the lie: the man who i
| sober not because of public opinion
| but by reason of his own self-respec'
| Take all the virtues and all the grace
of human life, view them from ever
! standpoint as you may, and your sobe
| judgment will convince you that it i
not SO much the rigor of the law as
IL the regard of the individual citize
| for his own well-being which mark
| the progress upward of people. Ho,
often have We seen men acquitted c
| statutory crime who were guilty be
| yond a reasonable doubt. These az
| Quittals have come because the legs
enactment was beyond and above AN
| did not meet the approval of the mora
| sentiment of the community where tn
| man was tried. How often agar
! have we seen convictions of many {
| the statutory crimes and misdemea1
- al '