Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-09

established law
VIII yen kindly state where. in
Your opinion. civil authority has its
sat IT origin I: the people have
the moral right; then should they not
have the legal right. "a veto the acts
Of their Representatives when their
representatives misrepresent them2
I. J. THAYER-
Oakland. Ne. Oct. ;. 1911
We think civil authority has its
origin in the CALM DELIBERAT1ON
Of the people. Action taken under the
excitement Of popular arousai IS mob
law Our fathers provided against
this. admirably They arranged short
specific terms for officials as the most
effective method Of holding men 10
their duties Of Office. or pain Of pop
glar aisapproval and dishonor
We believe pnelic opinion and ex
preston. If intelligently resor,ed To-
would be more effective than the re-
cali We fear that the people. in their
desire TO remedy certain acknowl-
edged evils, easily so tee far and are
led into irving all sorts Of confusing.
ensnaring and clap-trap propositions.
When . conscientious official, who Is
honestly discharging his duties. can
be snapped up and recalled on the
Fhirn OF a tickle public misled By de-
signing politicians. or for other pur-
pose. self-respeeting men win allow
public office to so begging. Then We
have made bad matter worse.
Hasty public verdicts are not Judi
cal. and when We swap justice for
popular caprice re have anarchy
well under way.
As our critic insists, the people
HAVE the moral and legal right 10
veto the acts of their representatives
when said representatives misrepre-
sent them. But ample provision is
made for this form of veto in short
terms of incumbency and the ballot.
Such provision made by our fathers
forestalled unjust haste and the prob
ability of substituting mob justice for
established justice.
We are inclined 70 hastily jump at
a new bait when II is lowered down
10 us in d cloud of sophistry by one
OF these expert law-doctor fishermen
Theodore Roosevelt taught the people
Of America the art of getting hear
ing. II We showed the same deter
fnination in tmpressing upon officials
elected the necessity Of living up to
their oaths Of Office that we do in
finding some method OF disposing of
the matter for all time, We should
have few rascals in office. 1t is pure
laziness on the part of the public
which is ever searching for a political
cure-all
Were there earnest popular demand
on the part Of the people Of Kenne-
bee county, Sheriff Richardson would
close all the rum shops and Jail the
pocket peddlers. But if we 1.-THE Ken
nebec JournaD demand it, the can
upon the sheriff is sneered at by an
nnjus, public as for political effect
Others who wish the law enforced are
~ the same position-they aye out
weighed by the sneerers and other
politicians, and workers for the liquor
interests or their private appetites who
quietly notify Sheriff Richardson that
the people do not wish the law en-
forced"
II we enjoyed the privilege Of the
recall, how much better off would We
be- II We (the JournaD demanded his
recall, it would be for partisan pur-
pose, in the public mind, and a po-
iiticai fight would follow. In one
Western state we read Of an inter-
minabie wrangle, one after another GO
ing down before the recall, and
neyer-ending political muss existing.
such is government by impulse or
within, as we'll as by the added evil of
newly opened avenues for political
ehicanery.
No system Of electlng officials has
been found TO equal well balanced
political parties, each held to public
responsibilities By fear Of dwindling
oellots. II you retort taat ends arc
1efeated By irresponsibles selling their
votes, we would ask II you could trust
that, element under any ether systern.