The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-11

misery and ruin for the MANY. Justice.
equal and exact justice. pleads for
departure from this oppressive policy.
There Is felt frequently the shock OF
conflict between labor and capital.
which but for wrongdoing upon the
part of one or the other. would be
friendly co-workers. AT times, the
world stands appalled, at the fierceness
of these conflicts, and sometimes the
very foundations of government are
made to tremble in their places,
AS a consequence of mans failure. In
past ages. to appreciate fully the rights
of his fellow-man, we are confronted
today with the race problem. menace
| to government an obstacle to advance
ment. a hindrance to learning. and the
| standing adversary of sectional recon-
| citation From the porticoes OF high
heaven angels of peace and love watch
with fear and trembling the process of
the solution of this most perplexing
problem.
Spirit of LnwIessness.
As a result of the failure to maintain
high ethical standards. the spirit OF
lawiessness is prevalent. Disregard for
law, man-made and God-given. is wide
snread Everywhere we have excuses
OF liberty. unbridled. license. barbaric
lawlessness; and lax law enforcement
Is the bane of both State and Nation.
The frequency. the reck1essness, and
the impunity with which laws are vio-
lated. should bring fear and shame to
everv patriotic citizen. In no other
civilized country is law-breaking re-
ga rded with so little concern. II the
offender be wealthy or influential. ac-
uuittal or light punishment II practi-
caIly certain. IL he be poor and with
out family influence conviction Is the
usual result Z Impartial and ADEQUATE
justice is seldom administered. What
a sad commentary on our hoasted civil
iaztioni
One Of the most alarming features In
which the spirit OF lawiessness mani
tests itself Is that OF mob violence. AZ
first. appeals to mob rule were infre-
quent: now they are frequent. Then,
only negroes and uninfluential whites
were the victims: now. people Of char
acter and standing, without regard 20
race or class. are sometimes executed.
The IawIAss sntrit. whether II mani
TESTS itself in the Might Riders" the
white CAMPERS" the race riot. the
"Rlack Hand" the boycott" the finan.
cial consriracy. or other form Is no re-
specter OF persons or institutions.
When these conditions are contem-
Mated one is constrained to wonder II
the court - TO be superseded by the
mob: ~ self government is TO prove g
failure n the result is to he a COM
plete anarchv--a drifting back into the
darkness ~ harha rism.
Moral Training Necessary.
What is the remedy? How can we
attain to new and better conditioner
Only through the processes Of eduea-
ton. In no other way can. proper
ethical standards be established and
maintained; by no other means can a
people be advanced In civilization, and
prepared for the highest forms of self
government. Through the develop
ment of mind and heart, the masses
must be brought to a realization of
the fact that violation of the law,
civic or moral. degrades all who par
ticipate or oondone; that crime is not
a preventive, but a producer of crime
that lawlessness begets greater law
lessness that hatred and revenge breed
hatred ana revenge.
Public officials must be trained to
realize that public office is a sacred
trust. and that yielding to the law
less element is inexcusable. The
children of the land must be taught
to obey the golden rule; must be
made to appreciate the meaning OF the
command Thou shalt not" Along