Evening star., 1932-03-05

Gov. Roosevelt's action In removing
Thomas M Farley, Tammany official,
as sheriff of New York County is held
by the public to have added to his
qualifications for the Democratic nomirla-
ton. and to have set new high marx,
establishing the ethical qualifications
of one who, like the sheriff, serves IN
public office. There is doubt as to the
effect On Tammany support, but the
country as whole is much impressed.
The section of the Governors state
ment which receives particular atten-
ton are these words: Where puDnc
official Is under inquiry or investigation,
especially an elected official, and 1t ap-
pears that the scale of his living the
total of his bank deposits far exceeds
the public salary which he Is known
to receive. he owes positive duty 10
the community to give a reasonable or
credible explanation of the sources OF
the deposits, or the source which
enables him TO maintain scale OF Nv
ing beyond the amount Of his salary,
The Atlanta Journal also quotes
further from the Roosevelt declaration:
Public service makes many exactlng
demands 1t does not offer large ma
terial compensation: often 1t takes more
than it gives But the worthy steward
of the public is not affected by TINS.
His ultimate satisfaction always must
he a sense of services well done, and
done in a spirit of unselfishnesS. The
state must expect compliance with
these standards, because if popular gov
eminent is to continue to exist 1t must.
in such matters. hold its stewards to
stern and uncompromising rectltude. II
must be a jealous master. Public once
means serving the public, and nobody
else" These straightforward words,
declares the Atlanta paper, and the
vital truth they voice, have an incom-
parably broader bearing than the Farley
case. They might well be inscribed
above the doors of every governmental
Office in our land, from the smallest
town hall to the Nations Capitol The
Journal concludes: GOV. Roosevelt mas
sounded the slogan OF the most crltlcai
need in Americas public life today; and
because he has sounded 1t, not in words
alone but in his official acts and his
personal character. he is the manifest
choice Of millions for the next President
of the United States"
4
"In considering the charges" says the
Schenectady Gazette, the Governor
in short that where a public official Is
being investigated, certain matters OF
his private life should be brought to
light" The Gazette concludes: Should
the Governors dictum be recognized
legally, it is certain to have its erect
on officials who heretofore have reheo
upon having their private lives Kept
from the public view, 1t VIII make
them far more careful of their actions
and in many cases should force honesty
where the tendency is toward dis
honesty.
"The Governors action, while it
hurts him with Tammany." asserts the
Roanoke World-News, raises his stock
with the upstate Democratic organiza-
ton and immeasurably strengthens his
standing in the South. The West al
ready is largely in his favor, but the
South is divided among Roosevelt,
Garner Byrd and others. Those who
accuse the New Yorker of Vacillation
and indecision will be silenced, tenn
porarily at least. True. there was no
other course open to him, for the evi-
dence against Farley was so convincing
and unmistakable that he could not do
otherwise than remove the sheriff from
office But the fact that he acted is
in his favor, nevertheless.
Outside of New York State the
friends of the Roosevelt candidacy un-
doubtedly will gain some strength" in
the opinion of the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin, while the Akron Beacon Jour-
nal holds that popular sentiment in
New York will sustain the Governor"
The New York Sun makes the state
ment: Politically the Governor has
made ten-strike. at least outside this
wicked city. Wherever MS followers