Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-09-07
Laws Should be Enforced.

One of the surest ways to secure the
repeal of an unjust law is to enforce it
rigidly, SO long as it remains on the stat
ute books. One of the surest WAYS
to secure disregard for all laws, increase
crime and lawlessness generally, is to al
low executive officers any discretion what
ever in their execution. Among the mum
cipal laws of Chicago once, was one pre-
scribing the width of certain signs allowed
on the sidewalk and that no hanging signs
should be allowed. The law was inoper-
alive until Long John Wentworth was
made Mayor, when he gave notice that
the signs specified as Objectionable by the
law, must be removed. No attention was
paid to this announcement; but one
morning the signs were missing. They
had been removed to and piled up in the
Court House yard by the police, during
night, and could only be recovered by
paying the fine the law imposed. Great
clamor was raised against the Mayor, who
retorted: 81 did not make the law. You
elected me Mayor, and l took an oath to
execute the laws you, the people, had en-
acted. found this law among others
which l, by oath, was bound to execute.
| have done SO. If you do not like the
law repeal it; for as long as it is law and
| am Mayor, it will be enforced" 1t was
repealed.
To-day, in the city, we have another
grievous crime to lay at the doors of Off
GERS who have not executed the laws.
The great calamity, resulting in the death
OF a hundred men, women and children,
and the suffering of one hundred and fifty
more, is due, apparently, to the neglect,
wilful or otherwise, of boiler inspectors to
do their duty. The evidence seems to
show that they have been too willing to al
low boilers to burst and lives to be sacri-
feed in consideration of "courtesies" de
rived from proprietors of steamers, &c.
Now that the public mind is aroused bv
the dangers which it is apparent encom-
passes the travelling public, facts are re
vealed which show the most criminal dis
regard of law on the part of those ap-
pointed to execute it; and there is a zeal
GUS effort to shut the door-after the
horse is stolen! After this sacrifice of
human life, it is officially announced that
the laws of ire United States with refer |
ence to boiler inspection are to be rigidly
Why have they not been here
totore? Why are they not dl,cays en- |
forced? What are laws made for if not
to be enforced? Are they made by politi- |
clans that politicians, elected to office.
may grow rich by blackmail from those
whose interest it is that the laws shall not
be executed
This is tn. fair conclusion, warranted
by and based upon the practice common |
among all classes of officials For if it is |
found that one man evades the action of |
law and profits by it, another in the same
business seeks the cause; finding it, he |
applies the same soothing salve which |
prevents suffering and places him on a |
par with his competitor This is the
practice-there is no gainsaying it nor use
Of shutting our eyes to it. Men seek /
election to our legislatures for the pur-
pose of plumber of this sort-or if paving
The way for it for their friends Men who
abjure political duties encourage those
thieves and swindlers, and buyers and sell
ers of blood, in their damnable work.
And setting aside our sympathy for the
slaughtered victims of these blood bar
ering villains, and for those who survive,
t is to be blessing to the masses if this
sacrifice purchase future exemption frorl
awlessness-if the people can be aroused |
% rescue themselves from the vepality
md corruption of politicians Who are
ready to enact any law and allow it to be-
come a dead letter, provided they can
profit thcreby.-N. r RuraI