East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-05-13
HEAR
EX-GOVERNOR FOLK
Continued from page one.)

ing. l have heard men deplore the
exposure of public corruption because
It hurts q city; l have seen men OPP
pose the enforcement of law against
gambling and liquor lawlessness be-
cause 1t Injuries the state; l have
heard men object to prosecuting trusts
and monopolies because it hurts bus
mess. Such views are entirely false.
No city can be injured by the en-
forcement of the peoples laws; to do
otherwise is to substitute the will of
the official for the laws of the peo-
pie, ana that is tyranny. No state
can be hurt by opposing grating; to
do otherwise is to connive at it. There
is no secret remedy known for evils
of this character. They cannot be
cured by hiding them. The disgrace
is not in their correction, but in sub
mission to them with supine indiffer-
ence.
n False Argument.
1t is well for a state to display its
virtues and not parade its faults. but
it should not be forgotten that the
highest civic virtue is in the over
throw of civic d~epravity. Grafters,
whether in st. Louis, Philadelphia,
Chicago, a Francisco, or Pittsburg,
always endeavor to have it appear
that a fight against them is a slander
against the city in which they oper-
ate. Criminal wealth when assailed
always tries to hide behind the skirts
of legitimate business, and claims
that business is being attacked. Ac-
nnrlinr 60 chat, arn,n,anN nraftArc
should never be assailed lest some as
sumo that all in the city are graft
ers, and lawlessness in business
should never be fought lest it be sus-
pected that all business is lawless.
Patriotism of Peace.
In the work before you there is 10
use for the sword, but there is a stern
demand for that courage shown in
Americans on so many battlefields
The spirit they exhibited as soldiers
of war, we should show as soldiers
of peace in the noblest work to which
the patriot can be called-the SUI
preme and sublime effort to bring q
little nearer day by day, the time when
brotherhood and charity shall rule in
stead of avarice and greed: when
| Special DIlNlltSt III every lbIW SIldll
be destroyed and equal rights to all
enthroned as the ruling principle of
public and the guiding principle of
private life.
Government by Few.
The most conspicuous fault of ma
tional, state n municipal govern
ments 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 much to be
done in the direction of better things.
There is too much aggressive sell
fishness nj averice, and too little
aggressive patriotism. If the patrio-
tism could be made as aggressive as
the rottenness the problem of good
government everywhere would be
solved by the people taking the gov
ernment in their own hands. If cor
ruption exists anywhere the people
are to blame. If corruption Is to be
eradicated the people alone can do
it. What is needed is more of the pa
triotism that fights for city, state and
country every day; the kind of patrio-
tism that will go into battles Of peace
as readily as into battles of war.
law Abidcrs Inactive.
If a government anywhere neglects
the people it is because the people
first neglect the government. The
law abiding people are in the major
ity, and there is hardly a commun-
ity in the country of which this can
not be said. They are usually quiet
though while the lawless are so voci-
ferrous as to deceive many as to theil
number. A majority of the people are
honest, and want good government
but do not as a rule, work for 1t, while
the minority are perniciouslI active
all the time. The lawless stand or
the street and talk for their side
while the law abiding are timid and
unobstrusive. A dozen law breakers
can make more noise thar five hun
bred law abiding citizens, but they d.
not count for much against the unitet
efforts of the law abiding. They arr
always active, however, while the av
erage good citizen becomes active on
" occasionally. They surround al
official inc sing him the siren SOM
OF the good politics Of serving then
instead of the public. 1t is Away!
easier for an official to serve tn
gang" instead Of the people. Unles
the official be strong he will be leC
astray by their alluring promises.
>. No Necessary Evils.
There are no necessary evils" II
government. 1t Is the abuse of gov
eminent about which all good citi
zens have a right to complain. Thos'
2 who have profited by the abuses ar
usually the loudest in the denunci
alton of those who point out abuse
i, in public affairs.
, While the people are to blame wher
public abuses exist, officials VIII
wink at the violation Of the law ar
nevertheless culpable. Good govern
ment depends more upon the man be