Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-02
What Is Your Duty?

The welfare of community de-
pends upon that community's moral
as well as physical health.
The personal liberty proclaimers
do not resist the quarantine, although
they would perpetuate and spread
something worse than typhoid and
small pox.
The health of community depends
more today upon the rigid enforce
ment of laws making for prevention OF
disease than it does upon the physi-
clan. So does the moral health OF
community depend more upon the
conscientious keeping out and slp-
preston Of moral diseases than 1T
does upon the churches and other
moral agencies which conf1ne them
selves to educating the masses away
from evil and vice.
The board of health for moral dis
ease is made up Of officers of law. II
they are held to their duties by en-
couragement Of those whs work by
educating" the efficiency Of all is in
creased ten-fold. When officers of the
law become lax or go over wholly and
become grafters, 1t is because, people
who profess to stand for social sanity
and In opposition to saloons and allied
evils. have not done their duty.
An Augusta gentleman-and DEM
ocrat at that--wrote Governor Haines.
thanking him for that Columbus ad-
dress. He was puzzled by the Gov
ernor's reply:
"It 10 encouraging TO know that
there are some who approve Of what
am trying to do"
The Augusta gentleman feared that
no did not quite understand the refer
ence to "some." Yet the solution is
easy, and without ever asking the
governor for explanation. Undoubted-
ly his expression was subconsciously
given from visible results. 1t is here:
The personal liberty and self gov
ernment" following are loud -mouthed
and insistent. Their rights" are above
civic, moral or religious interests.
They never hesitate to proclaim their
desires, and disapproval of restraint
or attempted restraint.
The officer who enforces the law
hears promptly from those who feel it,
directly or indirectly. The public may
have voted overwhelmingly for en-
forcement Of the law. but then the
larger element which demands the
law and enforcement goes back and
sits down. its duty everlastingiy done.
When an officer whom we have
elected to do thing does it. he is in
stantly jumped upon and insulted and
cursed and threatened from a thous-
and sources. To offset that he re-
ceives one little. half-hearted note of
approval.
That Is why Governor Haines said
''sone." Even some" of those whom
he had reckoned as friends and who
hypocritically pretended to stand for
the same things he is trying to ac-
complish. stabbed him in the back be-
cause he had gone too far" and was
really accomplishing something.
Every Sunday men and women meet
at churches and in Bible classes and
make the mighty effort" Of injecting
Jesus Christ into the publication of
civic affairs. What do they dor" you
ask. Why, they contribute a nickel
listen to the minister and the class
teachers and wonder what they can
do to oppose the hosts of evil"
II is too much work to give the Of
ficials whom they have elected the
encouragement Of consistent and con-
tinued approval when they do things
Is II any wonder. then, that officers
are afflicted with the disheartened
cry: 1.-The people do not want the laws
enforced-I hear one hundred against
to one for, the law"
Is II any wonder that Governor
Haines wrote some? Can any man
imagine what he should do to help In
the real battle against vice?