The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-04-10
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d" WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH
KANSAS?"

II the writer of the famous editorial with
this heading had waited few months he
might have had another "wonderful law
to cite. On March 3 so the secular press
informs us, one of the Populist representa-
tives of that home of curios the State of
Kansas, introduced bill in the Legislature
to enact the Ten Commandments into law.
He fixes the penalties most ngeniously.
One thousand dollars fine for ''having any
other God" like amount and one year
in the penitentiary for 'worshipping
craven image" Five hundred dollars for
taking the name of the Lord in vain;'
and for mot keeping the Sabbath day"
the same fine and six months in prison for
refusing to ''honor thy father and thy
mother Hanging for committing muir
der, Imprisonment for life for ''adultery,'
and fine or imprisonment, at the discretion
of the court for violating the commands,
Chou shalt not steal, " ''thou shalt not bear
false witness, y ''thou shalt not covet." If
the Populist had been bent upon showing
the ridiculous extreme to which he and his
fellow" cranks" are trying to carry legisa-
ton, he could not have selected a better
method. "Enacting the Ten Command
ments" ''How have the mighty fallen"
Is this the nineteenth century and the
civilized United States that man sent to
the Capital as law-maker should think
that he can enforce moral laws by fine and
imprisonment? How can he convict a man
under the first commandment? Will he
summon witnesses to prove that John Doe
is a money worshiper, and that Richard
Roe bows down to fame? Might not some
of his NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. appear against the
originator of this latest enactment and
testify that the introduction of such
measure is proof positive that he worships
notoriety? Is it any wonder that Kansas
is bleeding from many a wound Of her own
sons, if such measures can be seriously
brought forward and be considered by her
legislators. We already have too many
statutes upon our books, that either can not
enforced, but now the impossible must he
attempted. 1t is rather sad that the basic
laws of morality are so generally violated
as to require the power Of state laws to en-
force them. The churches and schools OF
Kansas had better be at work, and spread
the teaching of morality, even to its legis-
latOrs. The man does prove Il point which
we have touched upon more than once,
tiat the laws of the Bible, as a rule, EN-
body general principles, out of which whole
systems Of legal and moral enactments are
laws are so derived. For instance, the Law
of perjury is based upon the Third Com
mnndment, from an ethical point Of view.
The punishment of murder by hanging or
electrocution goes back to 'lIe who shed
deth mans blood, by man shall his blood
be she'd" We might trace many statutes
to Biblical principles and perhaps we need
some other laws to compel the immoral to
have regard for the rights of their neghbors
and for their duty. But the attempt to
enact the Ten Commandments is an indict-
ment of its author and of the society in
which he lives. If we hope to make men
moral by law, we are hoping in vain Moral
culture is the only possible safeguard for
humanity; it is permanent in power stat
utes are temporary and ineffective.
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