THE REIGN OF LAW 3i3 



they have a right to ignore those they do not Uke. The only 

 safe rule is that if a law is on the statute books it must be 

 observed. If a law is objectionable it should be repealed, not 

 ignored. We need reform in the administration of the law 

 more than anything else; though perhaps the old Athenian 

 law might be found beneficial, which subjected to fine and 

 imprisonment the person who proposed a law that turned out 

 to be bad or injurious to the public interests. We do not need 

 new laws so much as the enforcement of the laws we have. 

 There has been too much tampering with the laws in an effort 

 to correct wrongs that do not arise from the infirmity of the 

 laws, but rather from the feebleness of their execution. An 

 imperfect law, well administered, is far preferable to a perfect 

 law badly carried out. The law is merely a weapon in the 

 hands of officials, for without officials laws would be as useless 

 as cannon in war without men. Good government depends 

 more upon the men behind the law than on the law itself. No 

 official has the right to violate the oath that he takes to enforce 

 the laws, simply because some people do not want the law 

 enforced. He cannot excuse nonenforcement on the ground 

 that public sentiment is against the law. He does not swear 

 to support public sentiment, he does take an oath to support 

 the law. Public sentiment is a difficult thing to get at. Law- 

 abiding people are quiet, while the lawless are so vociferous as 

 to deceive some as to their number. The only correct way to 

 determine public sentiment is by the expression of the people's 

 will through the law making body. If an official can not obey 

 the mandate of the law, he should resign and give way to some 

 one else who can. What seems public sentiment may be, and 

 often is, the clamor of the lawless who have a selfish interest 

 in violating law. The indifference of good citizens permitted 

 bribery for a long time, but the public conscience was at last 

 aroused to the necessity of stamping it out. This civic in- 

 difference has permitted officials to take a solemn oath to 

 carry out the laws on the statute books, and then deliberately 

 to violate that oath. But the time is coming when an active 

 public sentiment will demand that every pul^lic official keep 

 his oath inviolate. 



There is no greater evil among us than the easy nullifica- 



