The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-03-09
PROVO CITY. MARCH 9, 1894
OBEDIENCE TO LAW.

The lack of obedience to law and the
lax administration oflaw, have, on this
western frontier, been productive of
more social and business misery than
can be ascribed to any, or all other
causes. A literal Interpretation and
an impartial administration of law
are unquestionably the remedies indi-
Gated. Wealth has too much power
even tor our courts, and poverty and
helplessness sometimes induce q
sterner application of it than the stu
alton demands or the crime warrants.
With these facts remembered it will
readily be seen that obedience to law
is not only the thing of all others to
engage our attention, but it is the
soundest policy. There is absolute
safety in it, dangers of thousand and
one kinds in its infraction. Respect
for, and obedience to law is the safe
guard Of the people. Let the wolves
who prey upon society but understand
that TINS is community which re-
spects, obeys and fears the law, and
they at once determine that here is no
field for the display of their malign en-
ergies to the hurt of the people. This
applies as well to the sleek, well-fed,
good hammered, high-born rogue who
torges your name to bank check, runs
of with your deposits, as it does that
other rogue who robs your hen house,
steals your horse, Or puts his brand on
your mavericks; the cases only differ
in degree. There are assassins who
shoot you from behind wall or am
bush, and another kind assassinate
your character. The one is a deadly
ofsnse in the eyes of the law, while the
other is forgiven, condoned, tolerated
and its punishment always rare indeed.
Now rigid application of the law,
an impartial and honest enforcement
will correct both these kinds of lawless-
ness. Let the man who steals or assassi-
mates your good name be as surely and
severely punished as the assassin of
blood, and the crime will become much
more infrequent, or it Will cease alto
gether. This alone will do away with
many Of the crimes which grow up cut
of slsnder. The intrinsic value of obed-
ience TO and a rigid enforcement of law
is very great and enters into such an
article as this very naturally. Ina
community where these great triata are
found property has more value and
strangers seek it more eagerly than
they would a far richer community,
where the same advantage could not be
had. Ina community where your blood
can be espilt, your property carried off,
or your family insulted with impunity,
you viii find property almost valueless
and the tide of immigration passing its
gateways for other places where these
adverse conditions do not prevail.
What we like, particularly in old
England, is that no matter how high
or how low the infractor may be his
punishment is always swift and sure.
This is true both of England proper
and all of her colonies, no matter how
remote. This is security for life and
property. How differe ent in this coun-
try. Whoever heard of man worth
ten thousand dollars who was ever
hung for murder or received a long sem
tence to the penitentiary? The instan-
ces Of this sort of administration of
law are all too few and far between.
If court once understands that it is
TO be sustained in rigid and impartial
of law instances of easy
escape from the consequences of its
violation viii become scarce indeed
and crime will promptly cease.
Il is the duty of every honest citizen
to consider these things, and to resolve
TO stand by the courts in their efforts to
enforce the laws.