Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-23

| public servants. mo puuliC have seen
law dehed, whole generation OF habit
ual law-breakers saved in evasion and
shamolessness, courts ineffective through
| fluctuations of policy, delays, perluries
negligence and other miscarriages oil
| justice; officers OF the law double-faced
| and mercenary, legislators timid and in.
sincere, candidates for Office hypocrtical
and trucking, and oflice-holders uniaith-
full TO pledges aud 10 reasonable public
expectation.
That 10 eevere arralgnment, but
none acquainted with the clroum-
stances viii question Its justice; anu
the main ideas expressed can be np-
piled to the enforcement OF laws on
other subjects. The lax enforcement
| OF punitive lave is chief cause Of
the prevalence Of crime Ia this coun-
try, whether those lave have been In
regard to the liquor traffic or other
topic. Taken upon the proposition OF
It's punitive laws alone, matters are
growing worse; hence the view held
by SO many that the government IL a
failure and that ultimate Dstl1nal dis.
aster, as result OF national debass-
msnt into orlminallty, cannot be
| averted.
But there is another aspect OF the
case to be considered, In which workers
for moral elevation eau fui consider.
able hope. This can be illustrated In
lts special application to temperance
legislation. For instance, Prot. Eliot
says:
1t cannot be positively affirmed that
| any one kind OF liquor legislation has
been more successful than another in
promoting real temperance. Legislation
as u cause OF Improvement can rarely be
separated from other possible cases. The
influence of race or nationality are ap-
parently more important than legisla-
lion.
Here the chief OF Harvard indi-
reotiy enunclstes principle which,
Ia his present article, he does not
make applicable 10 the case
In hand. He points out n NOR
important infiu nee tina a legislation
AMI by t Q latter he means laws OF
punitive charac er. But he doea not
point out that that more important in
iluenco eau be directed Alright by
educational legislation; that lie, by laws
requiring the education OF the race OF
nation upon this very subject. There
ia no person OF intelligence and
education but recognizes that in
temperance, not only In drink, but
in other things 10 curse TO tn
race, to be avoided at almost any
price; there is no patriotic legis.
lAtor but is willing or even
anxious to direct his ell rts sgaiuei
this bane Of good government. But
here is very large proportion o.
leaders in thought who question the
advlsabillty of prohibitory legislation.
At The same time there ia unanimity
OF opinion on one point, viz: that II
the people were trained in wledgs
which wlud cause them to refrain
from intemperau &C. glorious result
would be achieved.
Here is a suggestion that temper.
ance workers ought to make
more OF than they dc; although
considerable attention has been
paid to 1t in some places. The state
provides for the education OF its chill
dren. What fol-? That they might be
benefited by the knowledge acquired.
Ia thore Il greater source of benefit
than that knowledge which Will pro
tect them from being ruined physi.
cally, mentally and morally? Surely
not. And since the knowledge that
tuch ruin is effected by the imprDI 0
use OF narcotics and stimulsntsIcan be
readily conveyed in the ublic schools,
there can be no question but that IL IL
the duty OF the State which assumes to
educate its children TO give them in.
struotlon upon this vital point. And a
state which refuses to do go Is recreant
tc sacred duty.
In this State the requirements OF the
| school system should be as direct ana
mandatory in giving the children IN.
atruction on the fundamental laws Of
Psychology and hygiene, ss of vital
importance in securing health OF body
and mind, as upon the rules of gram
mar and arithmetic. II choice had
to be- made, 1t would be better to omit
the latter than the former. Give in.
struction In the public schools upon
the actual effects of narcotics, stimu-
lants, cleanliness, and exercise upon
the system, and the race or national
infiuenc that is more effective
than punitive legislation is en-
listed thereby against Incorporate
lives. There is In laws that require
this instruction nothing that infringes
upon individual liberty, nothing that
the most ardent opponent OF prohibi.
tory legislation can object to. Upon
this very point UtaE has taken retro
grade step from position once occu.
pied, and its efiec, has not been good.
A forward movement to the former
position 10 9 present necessity to every
thinking MUD that seeks the 5iaie's
welfare through its schools.