The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-11
ORDERLY GOVERNMENT


1 maintains an information and education
service" which offers the press from time
to time some salutary suggestions for the bene-
fit of the public Some of this matter Is rather
trte and commonplace, but now and then the
educational division rings the bell For IN
stance, in the following free editorial written
by Henry A. McAnarney
The United States is n government of law.
The system Of our government is such that the
law-making bodies are readily responsive TO
the will of the people. No great principle
can be made effective against the interests OF
the people and enforced against their WILL Tor
they have the power of changing their repre-
scntatives at frequent intervals and they have
the right of declaring their opinions through
party conventions, public assemblage, petition,
and the press. Besides these means of express
sion, the constitution expressly forbids restric-
ton or abridgement of rights that are nation
ally recognized as human--that is, rights that
are essential to life and liberty.
Public officials in this country, no matter
what their station are merely the agencies Tor
the administration of the will of the people
They are, in every sense, the servants OF the
people, having neither the right vested in their
persons TO issue DEGREES nor to impose PUNISH
ment for personal reasons.
Redress for wrongs-tvery wrong that 1t Is
possible for human beings to commit against
one another or for governments to infllct upon
the people-can be had only through the or
DERBY processes Of law enacted by lhe con-
sent of the people.
Conversely, every human right that IN the
course of evolution may be developed by So
cety can be adopted and enjoyed by the peo-
pie through orderly procedure.
RpVolution bV force i'm this country TO IN
augurate social or political principles has never
been necessary since the foundation of the re-
public.
Revolution by force breeds within itself
force In this land of ours it can not achieve
any object that finally shall not be achieved
by law.
Revolution by force can not establish here
Il social order; it can not redress wrongs; II
can not guarantee rights. On the contrary, by
its very nature it infcts wrongs, it deprlves
the people of their rights it abolishes law
Revolution by force supplants the rule OF
law by the rule Of men, substitutes order by
chaos, elevates tyranny of man above liberty
Of the people.
The sceptre of power in this nation Is the
ballot the holder of that sceptre, the citizen
The voice of that citizen massed at the ballot
box is the only command which the people
must OBEY. ana lHSy nuSI opey lHal'
The citizen of this country knows his great
est power his greatest benefit and his great
est hope are embraced in that ballot. His edu-
cation from the day he first learns to toddle
until he is ready to lay down the affairs OF
life tells him that he is freeman with rights
equal to those of any other freeman; that the
of these rights imposes upon him the
recognition of similar rights by his equals;
hat his individual opinion must give way to
the fiat of society
Therefore, this freeman does not seek to
redress wrongs or guarantee rights by the force
Df revolution, by hurling bombs by striking
he cOward's blow from ambush, by assassina-
ion, pillage arson-by the reign of terror.
He knows that through orderly govern
nent-government by law-every decree of
society can be accomplished. He knows that
)ut of false doctrines of government there can
rot be born a true people.
Understanding their responsibilities, the
,itizens Of this country are the savors of the
iberties of the people, for these responsible
les rest upon right-thinking and respect for
he authority Of the people
These are the guarantees of order and JUS
ice everywhere; without them social progress,
!uman happiness liberty are impossible.