The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-11

tive stations in the public service,
one issue was dominant, and the
voice of the people as to it had no
uncertain tone. That issue was
whether the state, or any OF It's gov.
ernmenual divisions. should enter
into any longtime indebtedness, I'M
der any guise, for extensive work IN
experimental road building. The
verdict of the electorate was unmls-'
takably against any such course, ana
for making our road improvements
out of funds previously raised ny
normal taxation, and in such manner
and to such extent as should be De
termined by those who must furnish
the money to pay for them.
To the extent that l have power
in my Office. it shall be employed IN
all legitimate ways to enforce this
program for which I believe the
neoDle have spoken-and l hope for.
your cooperation.
There are honest differences as %
the details Of the legal machinery
which shall be employed to that end,
and the adjustment Of these diner
ences is essentially a legislative func-
ton. to be PERFORMED by you with
out interference by the executive, I'M
less your adjustment of them shan
violate these principles, to which l
conceive this administration to be
pledged.
With this thought, l am content to-
leave this problem, for the present.
for your patriotic endeayor, and win
confidence thatSit will be solved by
you with a decent regard for the con-
victions of the people whose servants
you are, rather than by consulting
the dictum/ of theorists and irrespon-
sible publicists, whose inspiration is
less a secret than scandal.
Congress had appropriated moneys
from the federal treasury, to be used
under certain conditions, by states
and smaller governmental divisions
for the Improvement of highways.
and these funds may be secured by
the states, or it's agencies. when they
shall have raised for themselves GER
tain other sums, to be applied upon
the same work. This is called Fed
eral aid" In my opinion it is form
OF lottery for the extraction OF
money from the pockets OF the
people, under conditions only tenn
porarily. painless. 1t is a sedatfve,
administered to the taxpayer, under
the influence Of which he pays for
the prize but, of his own pocket.
To the extent that permitting our
public agencies to participate In the
distribution Of these funds is an en-
couragement to further activities OF
this sort by the federal government,
OF by the State, accepting such aid
is dangerous expedient, while not
ayailing ourselves Of it involves the
patent injustice of contributing to a
fund from which we get no benefit.
Our choice, therefore, lies between
two evils, and l trust to your wisdom
to choose a course in this respect
which will not lend encouragement to
this wasteful form of appropriation
and expenditure, while securing to
ourselves some crumbs from the feast
we have been forced to- spread.
Law Enforcement.
Ours is a government of laws, and
bottomed on a profound, and just,
distrust of vesting large discretion
in any executive officer Least OF
all. should there be discretion in any
one charged with the duty of enforc-
ing the policy of the state. deliber-
ately' embodied in its statutes by its
representatives in legislative as
sem bly,.
Euphonious phrases, used to qualify
law enforcement, are but excuses,
lacking humility, employed ny those
charged with sacred trust, to divert
attention from their lack OF courage.