The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-09-15
Tells State Club Women in
Inspiring Address What
Aid They Can Give
CALLS UPON PUBLIC TO
PERFORM ITS DUTIES
Believes Capital Punishment
Should Be Given Serious
Consideration

Thursday night at the last eve
ming session of. the State Federation
of Women's Clubs, before large
and appreciative audience, Mayor
Arthur E. Nelson, of st. Paul de-
livered one of the most forceful and
pleasing addresses of the Federation
on "Law Enforcement" His talk
was one of the real treats of the
program, both to the citizens of Be-
midi and to the members OF the
convention.
In opening the meeting, the as.
sembly joined in the singing OF
'The Battle Hymn Of the Republic"
and america the Beautiful" the
latter song having been chosen as
the official anthem of the Federation
at the 1922 Biennial. Miss. Leila
Stanton rendered a beautiful selec-
ton on the violin, accompanied by
Mrs. G. O. Riggs at the piano.
Following a few Introductory re-
marks, Mayor Nelson, with all the
emphasis of the true orator and all
the diplomacy of the statesman, laid
bare the essentials of law enforce
mcnt. His speech follows:
"King Solomon write in Proverbs
this bit of philosophy, where there
is no vision, the people cast off re-
straint; but he that keepeth the law
happy is he.:' The popular paraphrase
of. this is: Where there is no vision
people perish
"There is no danger that the peo-
ple of the United States will perish
from absence of vision. In spite OF
the pessimistic reports about laxity
of law enforcement, notwithstanding
the apparent trend toward disrespect
Of law, the people Of this nation
have vision-the same vision which
brought the early colonists across
5000 miles of ocean. Right will not
fail. Such a vision will not die. with
It before our eyes we will march on
to>better things clinging to restraint
and being happy through keeping
the law.
II wanted to bring this idea to
YOUR minds so as to dispel any feel
ing you may have acquired that i
was going to preach a sermon OF
nessimism. On the contrary, l hope
to show you how optimistic we
ought to be in view of our awaken
;nc n tho necessity of law enforce
ment.
"An author defines law as The
direct or indirect, expressed or I'M
ulied. real or supposed expression
Of the will of human society repre-.
sented in the state or OF part OF
human society constituted into, a
state.' The law is everywhere; IN
everything with which we come into
contact. It implies a duty TOWARD
our fellow men or toward the state
"a society of men) which should De
in our hearts and performed vol
unfairly. The state is so Intimately
connected with nearly everything
that concerns men; all our interests
are so closely interviewer with 1ts
veal that it cannot prosper or 1all
Of being a source of injury without
a faithful discharge of duties on the
mart of every citizen. That is the
reason we have laws, and with a
vision of the ultimate greatness OF
our nation before US we shou1o
have no difficulty in obeylng them
"Perhaps no one subject has been
\ of so much interest to US during tne
past few years as that OF the so.
called crime wave which has been
sweeping the entire United States
To no other subject has. there been
given so much study by the genera
public and due to its intimate rela.
tionship with society as whole an
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