Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1916-07-13
WANTED, PUBLIC LEADERS IN
TENNESSEE, AND THE
REASON WHY.
American Commemorative Now Com
mand The Services OF Few Men
Of Public Rank.
BY &. 8. kEE eLER.


That government 10 bad whose Of
fcss are largely filled by underlings
Il 10 the glory. OF England that heI
greatest men seek public honors. II
10 the shame OF our American com
nionwealths that they command tbs
services OF 30 few men Of first rank
We have made fundamental 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
IL 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. II 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
tust so. Certain matters are excluded
from legislative interference altogethr
er. Let man be Samson himself,
yet II he Is mistrusted and shorn OF
power, he tends to become a weak.
. ling. In like manner our Legislature
has become servile, not master
full body, spending most Of its tina
at sQuandering the public funds and
pandering to local interests. When
law of any consequence is enacted, It
ls Immediately attacked upon dozen
grounds, because, forsooth, the head
Ing is not on straight or it was not
lntoned 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 or
constitutional bubbles, a 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 t.,
The earth by multitude OF petty.
thongs.
I'VE place our Governor In stocks
and berats him because he falls 20
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 systematize and
unity 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 complex machine. Ho
Is puppet ruler.
How can we expect our public sery-
ants to lead US In solving the intri
cate social problems that beset usy
Great statesmen demand wide lati.
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 dc
hpsrate 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 shargsd With the duty Fl
adopting simple rules of procedure
and OF unifying and reorganizing 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 Tea.
nessee lie 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
a clear field. Great men win always
appear to claim great offices; but 1T
tie offices are the resort Of little men.
Some day We shall learn in govern |
mant as in art and life that IN
unity and directness there is power.