The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-10
Law-Makine with . vengeance.


own"
Law-Making with . Vengeance.
Since the New Jersey legislature has
passed law legalizing the Reading. Le-
high Valley and Jersey Central coal con-
spiracy and the New York legislature has
amended thd insurance code SO as to let in
the get-rich-quick endowment societies.
1t would seem that almost anything
might reasonably be expected from a state
legislature, at least from these two state
legislatures. In both these cases the
process may simply be characterized as
passing laws to make fraud legal. The
public awaits the next step with breath
less interest, and will be surprised at moth
ing. By the time this correspondence is
in type, these extraordinary laws may be
repealed or vetoed but others equally ex-
traordinary may have taken their place.
These endowment societies, which have
just been legalized by the New York legis-
lature against the earnest protest OF
Superintendent Pierce, of the state in.
surance department, promise to pay
500 for S25, and pay nothing. Their
they catch gudgeons by the thousands.
1t may be urged that any one who goes
into scheme where 500 is promised
fer SIS, deserves to be swindled, but at the
same time state legislature should hesi-
tate before it passes laws to legalize this
sort OF thing. The gentlemen who carry
on the green goods" business under some
disadvantage, should come in and demand
legislation in their. behalf. The bunko
men cannot always depend upon the
courtesy of the police, and under the new
order OF things should ask that their busi-
ness and their persons be hedged about
with the @gis of the law. Likewise the horse
thief What protection does the red-eyed
law afford to him? To be sure, after he
gets into court he has chance to prove
that he is not a horse thief, but SIM
ply an equine kleptomanlac, and has been
so from birth. This, of course, will acquit
him, but at the same time is it fair, is it
just, is it right, between man and man,
that his business should be Disseminated
against by the legislature? Any reason
able person will wot not. OF course, there
is another view of this matter. While
many are condemning the legislature for
doing these things, there are others who
take the same view that the legislature
does, namely, that every swindle that is
duly legalized and made proper reduces
the number of swindles just that much.
This, it is claimed, is in the interest of
public morals, and should be en-
couraged alike by press and pulpit.
By iegalizing all the swindles it
will then become impossible for any
one to be swindled. And when there are
no longer any swindles there will be no
lnducement for anyone to be a swindler
and we will all become upright and honor
able by law. This will place all on COM
mon level as to honesty and the very rich
man will, by statute, become quite as good
as poor man. By this means no man
may be so rich but he can get through the
eve of the celestial needle Sir Thomas
More's Utopian government will therefore
become beautiful reality. Here is where
the publiclst rises superior to the preacher
and moralist. While the latter is wasting
his time trying to persuade men to be hon
est the former passes few laws making
all crimes legal and all men respectable.
The law is great thing, but it requires a
work the greatest good to the g gre al
number.