New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-06-04

would be lost but q great deal gained
in the cause Of law and justice.
KAPPA.
Enforcs, the Laws.
Written for the Review BY o. P. CHAl1PLIH.
We have said, because the law is
good and promotes beney0lence, and
because the respect of those who enact
it is involved, and the effect Of uneE.
forced law upon the people is injurious
it should be- maintained. No State
should allow, or can suffer with im-
punity its people to follow any course
which will lessen their respect or hon
or for it. No State can permit its peo-
pie to lose their love for law and order
with safety to itself. Law and order
are the sinews Of the State. These
hold it together and give it strength:
If the people do not love these the
State will go down, or exist by force.
The law should be enforced to preserve
order, to. secure for itself the love of
the people, and the safety and peace
Of the State. But this will not be pos
sible to bring about where the people
have no sense Of responsibility to obey
and submit to authority. Here is the
weakness OF a government that vests
the power in the hands of the people.
The power is lost when the people lose
their responsibility for it. A demo-
cratic State is endangered when the
people forget their responsibility for
it. Every man should feel that he is
individually holden for the law and
order of the land; that it is in his per-
s0nal respect for. and obedience of law
and authority that there is safety to
the State, then will the foundations of
government be strengthened; but to
secure this, law must be enforced. If
you drag a law from obscurity to en-
force upon the transgress0r he will be
offended, and justly inquire why it has
lain SO long without enforcement. He
will be surprised, then disgusted, and
then rebelli0us; and the outcome of it
all will be contempt for law and order;
but if the law is enforced from the
time it takes effect this will be avoided.
Men will come naturally to expect pun.
ishment for it's infringement and will
he more inclined to respect and honor
it. Hence law should be maintained.
Should not, tEen, the law be enforc.
ed! There should be but one answer
from all the people. Every man who
loves liberty, order and stability in q
government should respond heartily in
its favor.
But some will say you cannot enforce
the law" If the condition of things
in any community is such as to make
it extremely difficult to enforcea partic.
ular law, then in that fact lies the rea-
son for it's enforcement. But if the
people have passed acts it is not pos
sible to enforce let them be repealed.
An uninforced law is damage to the
State. 1t fosters contempt for other
laws and tends to lawlessness. Repeal
the law that cannot be sustained.
But why cannot the law be sustain
ed! Has not the State the right to en-
force constitutional law! Has it not
the power. If there is power to enact
law there should be to enforce it. What
then is in the way of the operation of
the law! Are mems interests! But the
law is made in the interests Of men.
We know however, that the custodi-
ans of the law often think it is for their
interest to wink at the violation of the
law. They had rather increase lawless-
ness in the land than infOrce the law
that might make them obnoxious in
the eyes of evil workers. Self-interest,
does so stand in the way of the opera
tion of law that it is a rare thing you
see business men, or men dependent
professionally upon the law breaking
class move for the maintenance of the
law. Even the officers whose duty it
is to enforce the law, and fill an Office
created for that purpose does not do
what they are elected and sworn to do;
because they know, too many of them,
that they have sought, if they have
not intrigued for and bought their po-
sitions. They are the servile slaves
of the people and not their honorable
and honored servants. Self-interest
should not be in the way of the law.
There are many things of more conse.
quence to the Republic than the indi.
vidual members Of it. The existence
and honor of the Republic is of more
consequence. Self should not be put
above the Republic. If, however,
those whose lawful business it is to en-
force the law do not discharge their
obligation to the State then let some
one else see that the law is upheld.
Every citizen has a right to demand
the enforcement of the law. have
that right, you have that right. Shall
we exercise it! Shall we refuse to dis
charge one Of the most sacred and i'm.
portant rights Of citizenship, through
personal consideration, when to do $50
is to dishonor the State, wound our
own self.respect, and bring the con.
tempt Of the world upon us. Shall we
make & little god out Of self.interest
and sacrifice the Republic to him! Such
q sacrifice would be too costly for such
! a little contemplate god as that. Down
with the god, up with the Republic.
i Let the law be enforced or wiped out.
Let US be self.respe getting, law abiding
citizens.
!, Leayenwertha and Vicinity.
"A large and very substantial school
house has been built in the southern
part Of the town Of Mulligan, and we