Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-09-10
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 1920
THE LAW

II has long been noted as "a pecu-
culiar psychological fact that there
Is among all people tendency to
confuse the symbol for the thing
symbolized and the agent for the
principal. Many of the religions of
the world, both past anG present
were originally worship devoid Of
idolatry but sooner or later the use
Of images in the services of the
temples or churches as symbols de-
generated until the images them
selves received the worship which was
never intended to be given to them
By the founders and original teachers
Of those religions.
It is not only in religions that
this tendency of humanity is mani
tested. It is an ever present tenden-
cy liable to crop out at .inoppor-
tune times and in unexpected ways.
"Things seen are greater than
things heard. The active, present,
concrete agent of an invisible, in
tangible force appeals so much more
directly to the human mind that the
real source Of power is lost sight Of,
and the agent is clothed with all the
attributes of the power which it in
reality represents. This is especially
true when the agent is human and
sppropriates to himself the attributes
Of the source from which he derives
his power. Such assumption of pow
er is usually very gradual and lit
Tie notice is taken Of its progress
until the change is complete.
For years q subtitle .change has
been going on in America. The alb
stract conception of the people as
the source of power, expressing their
composite will through the law of
which the executive branch of the
government from president to con-
stable is the active agent, is fast
passing away and in its place is aris-
ing the conception that the source of
the law is outside of the people
themselves, and by popular thought it
has been transferred to the visible
power of the law with which the
people in general are most familiar.
From the transference in popular
conception to transferrence in fact is
but step, or rather a succession of
steps, each one so slight that the
transition will escape notice until the
change is complete and the law max
ingpower has passed forever from
the people and become lodged in an
official olligarchy, which will be both
the law making and the law enforc-
ing power.
This transition has been progress
ing for many years hut in so gradual
a manner that it has escaped obser-
walton. The late war accelerated the
speed of the insidious change. Over
night, almost, many powers which
had hitherto resided in the people or
in their Legislative representatives
were placed in the hands of few
individuals. The people were not con-
suited in the matter, perhaps there
was not time to consult them; MOI
did they object-the emergency was
great and the people are as whole
patriotic. But the war is over in fact
if not in theory. hut the people having
been accustomed to the Capitalization
of lawmaking power and in many
eases the combining of the law max
ing and the law-enforcing power have
grown Indifferent, and the greater
part of the war measures are still
on the statue books and the arbitra
~ power exerted by subordinate en-
fOrcement officers and submitted t.
in the first instance because of tn,
extraordinary circumstances of tn,
times is submitted to now. withou
protest, from force of habit.
- So blended in the minds of the peo
pie have become the abstract idea
Of the law and the visible instru
ment of the laws enforcement tina
in colloquial speech they are Otter
no longer distinguished. The consta
Bile, the policeman, the sheriff, tn,
Marshal, the governnr or the presi
dent is no longer an officer of tn,
law-he is the law.
There was a shooting affray i,
this city few nights ago and tn
writer heard a person. telling other
what he knew about it. He said
went down there with the law" /
short time ago that sentence woul
have been meaningless. but now
was fully understood by all of hi
auditors that he went down there wit
the officers Of the law. That express
ion is quite the current expression
at the present time.
The people no longer refer to tn
government as though they were
part Of it, it is referred to in a
impersonal manner as though it wer
. thing quite apart from the speak
ers-"They' are going to enact sue
and such a law They are goin
to stop the sale Of near beer"
Nor is it among the masses Of tn
people alone that this new concer
ton is found. Recently the Governo