The Russellville Democrat., 1891-06-25

worked, ETC., making Il crime 70
fail TO comply with the requirements
OF the act. After this law went into
effect, nearly every road overseer in
the state was indicted, convicted or
pleaded guilty and punished. They
plead ignorance OF the law, but the
courts held that the plea was no
defense to the prosecution. This
act contained provision which d.
rected the secretary Of state, at the
expense OF the state, to have printed
in pamphlet form sufficient num-
Der OF copies of the road law to
supply the various counties, but
notwithstanding this precantion the
overseers never received the law In
time nor knew OF it's provisions until
they paid the penalty OF fine and
prosecuting attorneys fee with other
costs. BY neglect Of the secretary
OF state or at some point in the
channel provided by the legis-
lature for apprisiDg the
road overseers Of their new duties,
they pleaded that they had never re-
ceived copy Of the law; but this
was OF mo- avail, and many road
overseer was forced into paying q
fine and costs they were poorly able
to do. II the act had required copies
OF the law delivered to each road
overseer instead Of being merely
supplied to the counties, II might
have been the means OF saving many
q hard learned dollar. But if the act
had provided for the publication OF
the law in some weekly newspaper
in each county, how much wiser and
better 1t would have been what .
vast sum of money it would have
saved to the honest, faithful road
overseers OF the state, who were
honestly and without their fault
| ignorant OF the penal statute? By q
timely publication of this law in their
county newspapers, to which, DOUBT
less, would have been added an edi-
torial warning, every road overseer
would have been duly notified and
apprised OF its existence, its require
ments, and avoided its penalties by
q cheerful compliance with it's man.
dates.
| doubt IL there is person in Ar
kansas whose conception OF right and
jsstice is so misty that be will deny
that the laws of this or any other
state should be as widely and
thoroughly disseminated as available
modes will afford, and that the laws,
when the people are thus made
familiar with them, will be more
uniformly obeyed and greater per
cent. OF violators brought to justice.
Aside from the common sense view
of it, there are many presidents in
its favor. As far back as 862 years
before Christ, we have q splendid
demonstration Of the effect Of timely
publication in the instance Of
Gods displeasure Of the great
city of Nineveh and His resolve to
overthrow it. His intention was not
kept secret from the people (like the
Arkansas road law was), but Jonah
was sent to warn them that they
might have opportunity to conform
to the law. "And Jonah began to
enter into the city days journey,
and he cried and said: Yet forty
days and Nineveh shall be over
THROWN Simple IS was the warn
ing, crude as was the method Of
spreading 1t, before he could finish
one days journey the impression
made by his words was so great that
he bad no need to 60 farther.
"And the king caused it to be pro-
claimed and published throughout
Nineveh," and the great city, the
proudest OF the Eastern world, was
saved from destruction. Timely
publication in this instance was so
successful that Jonah, the servant Of
God, became very angry.
l can hardly quote higher author
ity on this question than Sir William
Blackstone, who, in his Commenta-
ries on the Laws OF England, says:
"A bare resolution confined to the
breast OF the legislator without man.
Testing itself by some external sign,
can never be properly law. 1t Is
requisite that this resolution be mott
fed to the people who are to obey it.
1t may be notified by universal tradi-
ton and long practice, which sup
poses previous publication. 1t
may be notified, vivd voce, by off,
GERS appointed for that purpose, as is
done with regard to proclamaticns,
and such acts OF parliament as arc
appointed to be publicly read in
churches and other assemblies. 1t
may DO notified by writing, printing
or the like, which is the general
course taken with all our acts of
parliament. Yet, whatever way is
made use OF, it is incumbent on the
promulgators to do 1t in the most
public and perspicuous manner
What more tpublic and per-
spicuous manner" could be chosen
than the newspapers There can be
no means Of access to the public and
OF aequainting the people with the
laws Of the state more effective and
convenient than publication in news
papers. The daily aud weekly is
sues from the press furnish all the
reading matter OF nine-tenths of the
people. The newspaper is found
everywhere and is read by every