The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-12-05

yOhi ihfSoNASoe'oh'
The laws of Oklahoma afford such
ample procedure for the investiga'
ton and punishment OF crime, avoid
ing the expense OF a grand jury in
vestigation, that upon the surface OF
things 1t would appear an unneces-
sary burden upon the people of the
county to have you convene. 1t may
that there are a character OF crimes
and offenses against which the laws
are not sufficiently enforced, or that
such crimes and offenses are over
looked by the executive officers of
your county and ci,y. If crimes and
offenses are committed because of
the negligent conduct of any of your
officers, and it Is for this reason that
complaints are from every quarter,
you will be afforded ample opportun-
ity to remedy such wrong.
1t is to good citizenship alone that
the laws appeal for their enforce
ment. If the citizen Is vigilant and
sincere and faithful and discharges
his duties as such, and then your
laws are not enforced, it is, in such
case, clear and conclusive that IL Is
the officers neglect; but If the citi-
zen Is Indifferent and therefore neg
lectful himself of the duty society
imposes upon him, the negligent Of
ficer Is quick to catch the infection,
and the criminal is not slow to OBJ
serve that as the citizen and officer
are both careless and inattentive the
privilege is his to do as he pleases in
defiance of that law the enforcement
of which Is neglected by the officer
and a matter of indifference on the
! part of the citizen.
LHws oT & are nH sae ffT TdS IDLE Tsadng
rule for the government of all, Of
ficers and Others. When an officer
assumes the obligations of official
duty he is compelled by law to take
a solemn oath to perform the duties
of his position, and the citizen who
believes in the enforcement of law
and the doing OF that official duty is
under a moral obligation to not only
assist the officer but to denounce the
offender, and such obligation resting
upon the conscience of all men, who
clamor for law enforcement, and
should be just as binding as an Of
fetal oath. Many are they who pass
as good citizens, and who really be-
lieve themselves to be such, join in
the hue and cry that the laws are
not enforced, when at the same time
they do not possess either the moral
courage or the public fidelity to rend-
er assistance to the officials or courts
Of the country.
It is not expected in the practice
of good citizenship that you hunt
down and seize the offender, but it
is reasonable to expect that you will
lend moral aid and give information
TO the officers, and in doing this let
the offender know that his conduct
cannot receive countenance from you
as a citizen. If those from whom
society has the right to expect such
aid and information upon the one
hand and such discountenance upon
the other will openly manifest that
such is their faith, the officer will
feel encouraged and the offender dis
couraged to such an extent that, If
the officer be honest, the venue of
crime will be changed.
II is expected, however, that when
the state goes to the expense of en-
ploying legitimate means to procure
evidence against those who do sell
liquor as jointist or bootlegger and
they are brought to trial in the courts
that the jurors will do their duty,
and II the evidence Is sufficient TO
prove their guilt as the law requires
they should be convicted and the ex.
treme penalty of six months impris-
onment and five hundred dollars fine
inflicted. II the evidence fails TO
prove the accused guilty he should
be discharged; but, II, upon the 9th.
er hand, his guilt is established the
highest penalty should be imposed.
And why the highest penalty in such
cases when in other cases Il is prob
ably mitigated7 Simply because the
business of the jointist and bootleg.
ger is a deliberate scheme entered
into with deliberate purpose TO defy
the law and debauch the citizen.
am credibly informed that in
many cases where convictions are
had there is the usual thirty days and
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