Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1911-03-10

faults, but il should not be for
gotten that the highest civic
virtue is in the overthrow of civic
d~epravity. Grafters whether in
ST Louis, Philadelphia. San Frncisco
or pitsburg. always endeavor 20
have il appear that a fight against
them is a SANDER against the city
in which they operate. Criminal
wealth when assaiied always tries
TO hide behind the skirts OF leg It'll
mate business. and 81 aims that
business is being attacked. Ac-
cording to their argument grafters
should eve b e assaulted lest some
assume that all in the city are
grafters: and l~awlessness in bust
ness should not be fought lest it be
suspected that all business is
lawless.
In the work before you there is
no use for the sword. but there is a
stern demand for that courage
shown by Americans on so many
battlefelds. The spirit they ex-
hibited as soldiers Of war, we
should show as soldiers of peace in
the Eoblest work to which the
patriot can be called, the supreme
and sublime effort to bring a
little neaier day by day the time
when brotherhood and charity shall
rule instead of avarice and greed:
when special privilege in every
form shall be destroyed and equal
rights to all enthruned as the
ruling principle of public, and the
guiding principle of private life.
The most conspicuous fault of
national state and municipal govern
ment in the United States today is
that they are governments by
the few and not by the people.
There has been improvement in
the last few years, but there
remains mu oh to be done in the
direction of better things.
There is too much aggressive
selfishness and ayarice and to little
aggressive patriotism. If the
patriotism could be made as
aggressive as the rottenncss the
problem of good government every
where would be solved by the
people taking the government in
their own hands. If corruption is
10 be eradicatCd the people alone
a do it. What is needed is more
of the kind of patriotism that
fights for city, state and country
every day; the kind of patriotism
that will go into battles of peace
as readily as into ba tiles of war.
If government anyW here
neglects the people it is because
the people first neglect the govern
ment. The law abiding people
are in the majority, and there is
hardly a community in the ountry
of which this cannot be said. They
are usually quiet though while the
lawless are so vociferous as to
deceive many as to their number. 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 unobtrusi vc. A
dozen law breakers 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 becomes
active only occasionally. They
surround an official and sing him
the sir en- sons of the good politics
of serving them instead Of the
public. 1t is always easier for an
official to serve the gang instead
Of the people. Unless the official
be strong he will be led astray by
their alluring promises.
When the lawless get g man in
Office they support him in all the
evil that he docs; but when the
law abiding get a man in office too
often they r ready to criticise
him and leave him to fight the
battles without their active aid.
That is the trouble. Good men are
divided and bad men are united.
II good citizens could only be
induced to join hands in patriotic