The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-01-29
A Meditation Medley.
To the Editor Of The Republican,

cause of the combination of subjects
which l wish to present to the public
for it's serious thought and appropri-
ate action for the general good of the
county and for the country at large.
;. Although not citizen of this coun-
.ty, have been for more than third
of century a taxpayer therein and
have spent about one-third of that
time as close observer of the moral,
religious, educational, economic, legal
and legislative activities while I paid
prolonged visits herein each summer
during the past thirty-eight years
save one.
While have not been a legal resi-
dent, l have been, like all other tax
payers, very interested party in the
use made of the money which l, in a
comparatively small way, have paid
into the public treasury.
Last Saturday I attended the pub
lie meeting in the Court House to
consider ways and means to build
seventy miles of improved roads in
this county, and l saw that meeting
turn down that proposition on account
of the expense to the whole county
because only a part of the county
would get the immediate and direct
benefit.
While l did not think that I had
voice or vote in that meeting, it looked
to me like a rather short-sighted and
selfish stand to take. Personally, I
do not want to pay more taxes neither
do l feel the need of more improved
roads for my own use, yet l pay no
money more willingly and for more
satisfactory public investment than
that part of my taxes which goes to-
ward improved public roads, provided
the money is kept free from graft of
any kind.
To my mind, graft in one form or
another is the vulnerable part of
road building; and legislation and all
public effort should be concentrated
upon that phase of the subject. The
strictest sort of laws and the closest
inspection into how the public money
is used and kept free from politics
ought to be enacted to go with every
bond issue.
The Commissioners plea for econ
omy sounded good as far as it went.
But do they have the legal power and
exercise it to curb or prevent undue
expenditure of funds as they did last
Saturday? Do we not need adequate
legislation to help them to tighten the
county's purse-strings against useless.
or extravagant bills here and here all
along the line? Of course, the Com
missioners must be governed by the
law in spending and they are con-
strained by their duty to cave for the
taxpayers. They are the best judges
to recommend what additional laws
they need to make them the best pos
sible public officers.
/ have no criticisms for any partic-
ular public officers, but since have
been a close observer of the admins
tration of justice about the Court
House, the most of which is governed
by statutes interpreted and applied
by the Court, have come to the con-
clusion that the people should protect
themselves, their property, tn cir
homes and even their lives at much
less expense and more efficiently by
the enactment and prompt enforce
ment of laws making personal Offend
ers personally responsible when prov
en- guilty.
Technical delays almost without
number, useless costs and fees, the
winking at of perjury, the laxness of
respect for the court, ETC., amount to
little short of robbery of the peoples
money and rebellion against all gov
eminent when we sum up the so-called
administration of justice by many
courts of justice which l have per-
sonally observed in many states.
Despite many objections that have
been made and many more that may
be offered against the simple, cheap
and effective personal punishment of
large percentage of criminals by the
old-time whipping post, join with
many jurists and publicists who are
now advocating return to that means
of deterring crime as the fairest way
to deal with criminals whose con-
science and sense of manhood are so
hardened that fines and imprison-
ments do nothing more than to mock
justice and exalt them to mooted mar
tyrdom.