National Republican., 1883-02-05
NEEDED LAWS.
No Protection Against AduIterated Food
Life and Limb Sacrificed without Risk.


Life and Limb Sacrificed Without Risk.
To the Edior
While congress is considering gas monopo-
lies and defective water supplies for the city,
it should not lose sight Of other much-nccded
legislation. In the matter of civil remedies,
Washington is three-quarters of century
behind tho age. Let us for one moment
enumeratc:
1. There is no law here by which Justice
Of the peace can attach or garnish property
or funds of defaulting debtor until after
judgment against the debtor Is first had and
entered up. Tho OWL resulting from this
defect affords to the debtor an opportunity
TO fraudulently convey, dispose of, and evadc,
in many eases, all liability for debts under
800, the jurisdictional amount of justices of
tho peace. Justices of tho peace should he
authorized 10 issue wrts of attachment and
garnishmcnt for all debts within their juris-
dictiOnal amount
2. The laws for the protection of the public
against adultcratcd food nre utterly deficient.
Only q short time ago the writer hereof pur-
chased n beautiful, ycllow-tintod print Of but
ter, and within twcnty-lour hours thereafter
whitish lard coating Onc-iOurth of an inch
thick, surrounded the so.caled butter. The
sample was turned over TO tho health depart
ment of the city for analysis, and il proved to
be "buttcrino"-that is, u compound of buttor
and hogs lard. There were ut least a score of
cases upon the record of the health Office of
butterine and olcomargarino sellers in this
city. A reputable commission merchant of
this city informs me that two-third5 of the
"butter" sold in the market is spurious,
fraudulent, and adulteratod, and yet there
seems to be no remedy or effort to punish the
sellers of this fraud.
3. Tho most glaring and gricvous defect TO
be found in our code of civil remedies is that
of failure to provide by statute for recovery
of damages against corporations for the homi-
eide and killing of citizens by negligence or
carelcssncss. The old maxim of the common
law, that no personal action survives to the
widow, administrator. or legal representative
of the killed." seems vigorously to exist here
in this city.
Two men, with families. were killed by
railroads in tho month of December, 1852
The first, Mcsscr, was killed Doe ut tho
Sixth street crossing Of the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad company, and as the cor
oner's jury said by negligence of tho company.
The other man was bud " Eagl6ston, killed
at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad depot
Dec. 10, 1882, and by negligence also as tho
coroner's jury said.
1t may shock and surprise the quiet citizens
of this staid old town when we announce that
not one scintilla of right to recover damages
against these rich corporations exists here
under our defective laws. Tho rule in Baker
VS.. Bolton, enunciated by Lord Ellcnborough
two centuries ago, obtains here. About forty
years ago this old fossil rule Of feudal times
was superseded in England by Lord Camp
BELLS act giving the widow, children, or legal
representatives of the person killed the right
to recover damages therefor in every case
where such death was the result of negligence
by corporations, their servants, or agents. In
most of the states especially those abreast of
the spirit of the times, the proper legislation
has been enacted. But here in this city, tho
capital of the nation, Il thousand men might
be killed by railways, for which the law
would not permit their widows, families, or
legal representatives to recover one thousand
cents AS there is no remedy except such as
congress may in their clemoncy sec fit TO be-
stow, let every citizen petition them to make
n flnoreal fire of their railway passes. Per-
haps their eyes would then be opened.
q. p j.