The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1913-06-06
SPEECH Of GOVERNOR
FOLK At CHAUTAUQUA

privilege devide the forces in oppo-
sition Those who object to reform
do not usually put their protest up
on the true ground, but they seek
some other preteXt They ask why is
rot this or that done. If one exam
ines the source of a complaint like
this he will usually find that it is
cot because of a desire that reform
be made more thorough, but to dis
credit what has been done. If one
sincerely desires progress in the way
of better things, instead of criticism
he will give his help in the accom-
plishment of the things wished for.
Reform always progresses by degrees,
everything cannot be done in day.
One of the obstacles to the pro-
gress of righteousness everywhere is
the mistaken view that it Injuries a
city or state to prosecute wrongdo-
ing. / have heard men deplore the
exposure of public corruption because
it hurts a city have seen men OPP
pose Reinforcement of law against
gambling and liquor lawlessness be-
cause it Injuries the state; Ihave
have heard men object to prosecut-
ing the trusts and monopolies be-
cause it hurts business. Such views
are entirely false. No city can be
injured by the enforcement of the
peoples laws; to do otherwise is to
substitute the will of the official for
the laws of the people, and that is
tyranny. No state canb hurt by OPP
posing grating; to do otherwise is
to connive at it. There is no secret
remedy known for evils of this char
acter. They cannot be cured by hid
ing them. The disgrace is not in
their correction, but in submission to
them with supine Indifference.
1t is well for state to display it's
virtues and and not parade its faults,
but it should not be forgotten that
the highest civic virtue is in the over
VI AiNAt uNpi UN ny vi hl NCi .,
whether in ST Louis, Philadelphia,
Chicago, San Francisco, or Pittsburg,
always endeavor to have it appear
that a fight against them is a SLAM
der against the city in which they
operate. Criminal wealth when as
sailed always tries to hide behind the
Oh NJ ~ Il
claims that all business is being
attacked. According to their argu-
ment grafters should never be as
sailed lest some assume that all in
the city are grafters, and lawlessness
in business should not be fought lest
it be suspected that all business is
lawless.
The most conspicuous fault on ma
tional, state and 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 still too much aggressive
seltishness, and too little aggressive
patriotism. If the patriotism coulJ
be made as aggressive as the rotten.
ness the problem of good government
everywhere would be solved by the
people taking the government in
their own hands. If corruption eX.
lists everywhere the people are tt
blame. If corruption is to be eradi
what is needed is more of the kind OF
patriotism that fights for city, stat,
and nation every day; the kind o.
patriotism that will 30 into battle,
of peace as readily as into battles O
war
If a government anywhere neg
lects the people it is because the PEG
pie first neglect the government Tn,
law abiding people are in the major
1ty, and there is hardly a communit,
in the country of which this canno
DE said. They are usually quie
though while the lawless are SO vo
ciferous as to deceive many as tC
their number. A majority of the PEG
pie are honest and want good gov
eminent, but do not as a rule. worl
for it, while the minority are per
niciously active all the time. Tn,
lawless stand on the street and tall
for their side, while the law abidins
are timid and unobtrusive. A dozeI
law breakers can make more nois,
than five hundred law abiding citi
Zens but they do not count for niue;
against the law abiding. They ar,
always active, however, while the av
erage good citizen becomes activ,
only occasionally. They surround al
official and sing the siren song Of tn,
of the people 1t is always easie
for an Official to serve the gang
instead of the people. Unless tn,
official be strong, he will be led ava,