Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-01-12
Repeal the Law.

uG losses incurred BN IiOI III JnlS
State IL 1877, again threaten to be-
come the source OF annoyance IN the
Stale Legislature. The losses are to
be brought before The Legislature in
a new form. Under the special law
for Philadelphia and Allegheny coun-
ty, the lastnamed county became re-
sponsible for damages by riot com
mitted in said county in 1877. The
Commissioners have issued bonds for
the payment of the claims; the
amount to be paid is between two
and three million dollars. The law
should be repealed this winter 1t
was enacted in 1914. because of the
religious riots in Philadelphia be
tween Protestants and Catholics.
Upon what principle such a law is
founded, has not been stated. If it
would hold the rioters responsible,
personally, and require them TO pay
the damages that their own bad work
caused, it wonld haze the appearance
cf Justice; but the responsibility for
loss Is taken off the shoulders Of the
perpetrators of riot and distributed
at large upon that portion of the
community that takes care of its
means and invests its money where it
becomes a source Of taxation. For
the allegiance of the individual, the
State organization promises to pro
tect the individual in the possession
OF his property, and the liberty of
his person, when danger threatens /;
but the State cannot restore proper
t. destroyed by contlagration, or
bring TO life the man who has been
stricken down by the despoiler When
it has driven away the invader. and
dispersed and punished the rioters,
its duties are at an end, and the in
diyidual. If living, comes into pos
session o. such common rights as
that which the State owes him. BY
what rule of right can a State pre-
sumo to ta1 the business OF the ccun-
try, and the honest labor of a coun-
ty to pay for the outrages of riotous
men! II a State cannot preserve
the peace, and protect its citizens by
civil process, it resorts to military
process, the expenses of which OF
course must be paid by the State,
from taxable resources. That is a
common duty for the State to exc
cute; but it is quite another thing
for the State to insure all property
against the acts OF 2lotoUs men.
The idea or theory on which the
Allegheny riot bond bill VIII be based
Is not sound II lifts the State above
everything, and dwarfs the individual
to nothing. Under such enactments
communities would not need to trou-
bic themselves about riots when they
Occur, for the State would make good
al damages sustained The rioters
can have their own way. and if
property be destroyed the State will
make it good While Allegheny is
at work framing the bili, why not go
a step further, and add n life insur-
ance clause to the prepared bill, and
have the State pay for the lives of
men killed by not. Such Ian could
be turned 10 speculative account.
Rings of INSCRIPTIONS men in every
community could be formed that
could manage TO invest largely in
personal property, and then foment
riot destroy the property, and have
the State pay for it, and also for the
lives of the rioters Outupon such a
law. All riGht-minded people sym-
pathize with the people of Pittsblrg
who are made to pay such heavy dam
ages under the provisions of a reli-
gious riot law; but the very fact that
the citizens of Allegheny county feel
the injustice of the law. is a power
ful reason for not extending the pro
visions of the same law over the
whole Commonwealth Repeal the
law