McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-07-07

We have made rundamentaI error
here in America. We have thought
that by tying the hands Of our minis.
ters we were preserving our sacred
rights. We have failed to see that II
an officer is powerless to do evil he
is likewise powerless to do good.
Only dead men are harmless.
Note the condition in our own State
of Tennessee. Our Legislature is
hedged about with the most trifling
restrictions, such as sticking
schoolmaster might lay down for a
stupid pupil. It must limit its session
TO seventy-five days. The caption OF
it's bills must be written just so, they
must be styled just SO, and passed
just SO. Certain matters are excluded
from legislative interference altogeth.
er. Let man be Samson himself.
yet If Ne is mistrusted and shorn Of
power, he tends to become weak
ling. In like manner our Legislature
has become a servile, not master
full body, spending most of its time
at squandering the public funds and
,pandering to local interests. When a
law of any consequence is enacted, 1t
is Immediately attacked upon dozen
grounds, because, forsooth, the head.
ing is not on straight or 1t was not
intoned the proper number of TIMES
before its passage. From one hun
dred to two hundred and fifty pager
In every volume of our judicial reports
is taken up with the consideration o.
constitutional bubbles, thing un
heard Of in Europe. Empty forms
have usurped the throne Of reason,
and log-rolling has assumed the garb
of craftsmanship. Like CULVER ia
the story, our Legislature is bound to-
the earth by multitude of petty
thongs.
We place our Governor in stocks
and berate him because he fails 70
wiggle. Though nominally the chief
executive of our State, he cannot so
much as command the services of his
subordinates. He has no cabinet
which he can make or unmake at
will. He cannot systematic and
unxy the public business. He can
not take care that the laws are faith
fully executed. He cannot even call
out the militia in times of rebellion.
He is cog in a >complex machine. H0
Is a puppet ruler.
How can we expect our public serv.
ants to lead us in solving the intri
cate social problems that beset u.s.,
Great statesmen demand a wide latL
tude of powers. We must remove
from our Legislators the consideration
Of petty details and local measures
as unworthy OF their attention, and
we must allow them freedom to de-
hberate upon the weightiest matters
which concern the State. The courts
must be our sponsors of justice. The
Supreme Court must be given the
power and charged with the duty OF
adopting simple rules OF procedure
and of unifying and recognizing our
whole judicial system upon the basis
of efficiency. Our Governor should
be made, as his name implies, the
director Of the States policies and
the executor Of Its laws.
The present backwardness of Ten.
nessee is due to our lack of master.
full men In public affairs. Where are
our leaders? Napoleons and Bis.
marcks care not to play with jack.
straws Give them real weapons and
clear field. Great men will always
appear to claim great offices; but lit
tie offices are the resort of little men.
Some day we shall learn in govern
ment as in art and life that In
unity and directness there is power.