Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-15
BOUND TO OBEY
CALL OF DUTY
DEMAND MADE ON OFFICIAL S
SIMPLICITY ITSELF
NELSON'S ORDER QUOTED AS
DIRECTLY APPLICABLE
Rev. Robert J. 5urdette Discusses Re-
cent Revelations as to Conduct =
of Los Angeles Munich
pal Affairs

Rev. Robert ]. Burdette in his brief
remarks, given each week at the night
service, touched last night on the acts
Of officials high in the city admins
tration, and declared that even the lips
of a grand jury should not be'-used to
excuse a dereliction from duty. DR..
Burdette addressed a large congrega-
ton in the Temple Auditorium, and his
remarks, as shown by utterances after
the services, met with the hearty ap-
proval of his hearers. The pastor said
in part:
1.-The battle of Trafalgar didn't hap
pen last week. But something hap
pened before that fight that was greater
than any battle ever fought or any vic
tory ever won by England's splendid
fighting sea dogs.
Just before the opening Of the bat
tie there f1uttered from the masthead
of the Victory Nelson's flagship, his
last order, England expects every man
to do his duty
From every Flagstaff of authority
waves, in the sunshine or the storm,
that order, The country-the state-the
city-'expects every man will do his
duty Suppose every officeholder in
the United States would observe just
that order, the right and the reason
able expectation of the people who
elect him. 1t is a reasonable expecta-
tio4a, isn't it? That isn't asking too
much, even of an officeholdeT, The
candidates, during the campaign, most
fervently promise to do that much.
Sometimes they promise to do more
that doesn't count. The people ask only
that much. And when the lucky candi-
date takes office he sWears solemnly
before God and the people that he will
do his duty. So it isn't much for the
people to expect that of him, because
everyone of Nelson's sailors did that
much.
Trafalgar was Nelson's greatest vic
tory. Now, did the present city admin
istration do that much-just it's plain,
simple, straightforward duty? Did it?
If it didn't has it any right to remain
in office? Is it any defense for it to
say, even. by the lips of a grand jury,
that other administrations had done
just as badly? A man in public office
who will not do SO plain a service as
his duty ought to be called down and
put out, until we, as citizens, find a
man who will do his duty, if it takes a
recall election once month.
Has Forfeited His Right
1T isn't necessary that an official
should commit crime to discredit him
self. 1t isn't necessary that he should
be such bad man that the grand jury
should indict him. If he will not and
does not do the duty which is so plain
ly placed before him, which he prom
ised and swore he would do, he has
forfeited the right to the station of
honor in which his masters, the peo-
pie. placed him.
They have as much right. to degrade
him from their service as a railway
company has to dismiss an engineer
who runs by guess instead of schedule,
or a brakeman who creeps into the way
car and sleeps his entire run when his
place is on top Of a train. The train
may run through safely, but he de-
serves to be dismissed all the same,
just as peremptorily as though it had
plunged through an open draw.
1t is not necessary that the brake
man should be drunk. He may never
have touched liquor. Sleep isn't even a
sin. Sleep is a healthful function, not
a crime. Yon can't indict man for
going to sleep, but you can. dismiss
him for neglect of duty. And the high
er the station he holds the more per-
emptory should be the dismissal