The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1929-05-11

and must be enforced until it is repealed by the
proper processes of our democracy. The duty to
enforce the law rests upon every public Official and
the duty to obey it rests upon every citizen.
NO INDIVIDUAL EXCEPTED
No individual has the right to determine what law
shall be obeyed and what law shall not be enforced.
If law is wrong its rigid enforcement is the SureSt
guaranty of its repeal If it is right it's enforcement
is the quickest method of compelling respect for it.
I have seen statements published within few days
encouraging citizens to defy law because that par
ticuar journal did not approve of the law itself.
leave comment on such an attitude to any cit
zen with sense of responsibility to his country.
In my position, with my obligations, there can be
no argument on these points. There is no citizen
who would approve of the President of the United
States assuming any other attitude. 1t may be said
by some that the larger responsibility for the en-
forcement of laws against crime rests with state
and local authorities and it does not concern the
Federal government.
NO STATES RIGHTS" IN LAW OBSERVANCE
But it does concern the President of the United
States, both as citizen and as the one upon whom
rests the primary responsibility OF leadership for
the establishment of standards of law enforcement
in this country. Respect for law and obedience to
law does not distinguish between Federal and state
laWS-it is common conscience.
After ALL the processes of criminal law enforce
ment are simply methods of inStilling respect and
fear into the minds of those who have not the in
teligence and moral instinct to obey the law as
awaken this consciousness this moral sense and if
necessary to segregate such degenerate minds where
they can do no future harm.
WILL INVESTIGATE AND REORGANIzE
We have two immediate problems before us in
government. To investigate existing agencies
of enforcement and to reorganize system of en-
forcement in such manner as to eliminate its weak
neSseS 1t is the purpose of the Federal admins
ration Systematically to strengthen it's law enforce
ment agencies week by week, month by month, year
by year, not by dramatic displays and violent at
tackS in order to make headlines, not by violating
the law itself through misuse Of the law in its en-
forcement, but by steady pressure, steady wedding
out of all incapable and negligent officials no mat
ter what their status by encouragement, promo
ton, and recognition for those who do their duty
and by The most rigid scrutiny of the records and
attitudes of all persons suggested for appointment
to official posts in our entire law enforcement ma
chinery That is administration for which my col
leagues and are as fully responsible as the human
material which can be assembled for the task will
succeed
Furthermore, I wish to determine and, far as
possible, remove the sources of inherent defects in
our present system that defeat the most devoted
officials
PROTECTION OF SOCIETY FIRST
CONSIDERATION
Every student of our law enforcement mechanism
knows full we'll that it is in need of vigorous reor-
ganizaton; that its procedure unduly favorS the
criminal; that our judiciary needs to be strength
ened; that the method of assembling our juries
needs revision; that justice must be swift and
sure. In our desire to be merciful the pendulum
has swung in favor of the prisoner and far away
from the protection of society.
The sympathetic mind of the American people in
it's overconcern about those who are in difficulties
s