Arizona republican., 1909-09-27


| the speaker said:
If a government anywhere neglects
the people il is because the people
first neglect the government. The
law abiding people are in the majority
and there is hardly a community in
this country of which this cannot be
said. They are usually quiet though.
while the lawless are so vociferous
as to deceive many as to their num-
Der. A majority of the people are
honest and want good government,
but do not as a rule, work for it,
while the minority are perniciously
active all the time. The lawless
stand on the street and talk for their
side, while the law abiding are timid
and unobstrusive. A dozen law break
ers can make more noise than five
hundred law abiding citizens. but they
do not count for much against the
united efforts of the law abiding.
They are always active however,
while the average good citizen be-
comes active only occasionally. They
surround an official and sing him the
siren song the good politics of serving
them instead of the public. 1t is al
way tdiSlCi III OAAASi<lA " SCI NS
the gang than to serve the people.
Unless the official be strong he
will be led astray by their alluring
promises.
Each man is one seventy five mil
lionth of a sovereign. II may seem
small but it marks the distinction
between the citizen and the subject.
Some of you may think that if the
government were left entirely to you,
public evils would not exist. But you
have a portion of the responsibility
now. If you are unfaithful in part,
would you be more faithful with all?
He that is faithless with a portion
cannot be trusted with the whole. If
each citizen were to leave the reme-
dying of public wrongs to someone
else. nothing would be accomplished.
There is sometimes too much of a
face sweating in civic affairs while
they do the bread eating.
There are no necessary evils in
government. 1t is the abuses of gov
ernment about which all good citizens
have right to complain. Those who
have profited by the abuses are usu
ally the loudest in the denunciation
of those who point out abuses in
public affairs.
In the best governed city the good
people are tremendously active and
the vicious are notably quiet In
what is perhaps the worst governed
city in the union the good citizens
are deplorably passive in their good
ness and the vicious are ordinarily
active And yet | suppose the pro-
portion of good citizens in each OF
these cities is about the same. If
the honest voters in the badly govern |
ed city would assert themselves they |
would have local government of
which they would be justly proud.
when the people are to. blame |
where public abuses exist, officials |
Who wink at the violation of the law |
are nevertheless culpable. Good gov
depends more upon the man
behind the law than upon the law
itself. The law is merely the weapon
for officials to use. and without Off
cials laws would be as useless as can
non in war without men. When an
official takes an oath to enforce a law
he has no right to violate the oath
and excuse the nOn-enforcement of
certain laws simply because they are,
or seem to be. unpopular. Sentiment
may be against the enforcement of
some law, but an official does not
take an oath to support public senti-
ment. He does take an oath to sup
port the law. and public sentiment is
a difficult thing to ascertain. Law
abiding. people are quiet while the
lawless are so vociferous as to deceive
by their clamor the facts as to their
The only correct way to de-
termine public sentiment is to be |
guided by the expression of the peo-
pies will through the making |
body. When a law is passed it must J
be assumed it is what the people |
want, and il should be enforced until |
the people demand and secure its re-
peal What may seem to be public |
sentiment is often the clamor of the |
lawless who have a selfish interest |
in violating the law.
Civic evils cannot exist when the |
public sentiment is aroused"
The perpetuity of the government, |
said the lecturer. depended not upon |
its wealth and power. but upon the |
average morality and aggressive |
of its citizens. The |
The republic of Athens existed for !,
300 years. 1t fell, not because of |
lack of wealth or culture, - In its
1ecadence it witnessed the age of |
still the golden age of art |
and literature Athens fell because |
the government had passed into the !
hands of the few.
In that" said Mr.. Folk, lies the |
Dnly menace to this republic and II
believe it will be averted. / believe
that we are approaching a golden |
age-when the golden rule shall over !
throw and displace the rule of gold.' /
Mn Enp AEPIAI MEET