The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-05-17
THE OFFICIALS, THE PEOPLE AND THE LID

"The chief of police was instructed by the council t
put the lid on the town."
This sentence in the minutes of the meeting O
the city council held Monday evening occupies space en-
tirely disproportionate to it's Importance and significance
and gives no hint of the force of the sentiment behind it
When word was passed around Tuesday morning of tn
stand taken by the council, the mayor and the police, Their
was a wave of satisfaction and response that included
practically all the law abiding citizens of the city and wa
representative of every business and occupation. Con
gratulations and assurances Of support and whole-hearteC
backing showered upon the officials and proved how
pleased and how dead in earnest the people are.
Wolf Point is no worse in her gambling and booze
peddling sins than the average town, but where othel
towns let the element that feeds and fattens on such things
have free reign until the situation compels the attention
of the county, state or federal officials, Wolf Point pro
poses to clean itself.
Both society and government find themselves in a con.
slant struggle with the elements that choose to pit theil
wits and their nerve against the law and common decency
for personal gain and to escape honest labor. To take
advantage of human weakness and credulity is one of the
short cuts to Easy street and modern Injuries. The bat
tie gainstthemenace of these things and theirby-products
cannot be escaped, and no citizen who fails to take an
out-and-out stand on the side of law, morality, safety and
cleanness is free from responsibility for conditions and re-
suits. 1t IS easy enough to keep alOof and slde-step I'M
pleasant duty, and say that law enforcement is for the
authorities. But that is a false position, dangerous to
homes, to schools, to business, to community growth and
prosperity.
The busy, good natured rank and file of the people,
especially western people, are surely liberal enough in
their views. They are not natural lovers of "blue laws"
or rigid regulations for the conduct of their neighbors-
not until their good nature and their sense of decency has
been imposed on. Not until they see pitfalls in the way
of weak members of their families. Not until they see
the welfare Of their town or county in jeopardy. Not I'M
til they find the morals of their children suffering through
subsection to temptations of a sort that have no place IN
any clean community. Find the name of their town be-
smirched and its future prospects threatened. Then look
out. Grafters, professional and tin-horn gamblers, boot
ieggers, stiH-keepers, libertines and the whole criminal
category that trail in their wake, all look alike to them.
From a position of easy-going liberality the real men
and women who are the wool and the warp of society and
government are prone to go to the other extreme. Public
sentiment, not officials, is the deciding factor IN law en-
forcement and reform.
In the case of Wolf Point there is not a particle of
doubt that the big, predominating, clean element is back
of the city officials, gladly, unltedly, deteTminedly back
of them. Now that the step has been taken and the edlct
gone forth they will see it through and say so openly. Any
one in doubt on this point will do we'll to feel out the tenn
per Of the wives, mothers, fathers and property owners
of the city and surrounding country. They realize that
they have a community of far better than average attain
ments and prospects and they do not propose to tolerate
a menace to its continued progress.
The pitiful tragedy of Tuesday night is a clincher to
these arguments and a complete justification of the orders
already issued by the council to the police. The wonder
of it all is that in a country Of large and liberal oppor-
tunities all men do not choose an honest mode of liveli-
hood in preference to preying upon humanitys weak
lings. In the poverty stricken and caste cursed places
where people are huddled together, the breeding of crime
is expected, but in the great, open, democratic West there
is constant inspiration beckOnlng to things that foster self
respect and pride, and consideration for the communities
we live IN.
Now another governor, it appears, is getting ready to
appoint himself to the United States senate.
Possibly Commissioner Spry or Congress or somebody
else at Washington can explain how cancelling the entries
of homesteaders will benefit the Indian fund.
AS a community builder an ace in the hole can't com
pare with a hammer or a hoe in the hand.
--O-
Scientists admit that they have not solved the mystery
of how birds learn to soar, but we think the birds ances-
tors must have hung around and watched the good old
fashioned 18th of July orators.
AS o sLhstituta for sunshine. mNnnShine is q dismal