Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-11
CURIOUS LEGISLATION.
Some Freak Laws That Have Beer
Passed by State Legislatures.

Passed by State Legislatures.
From the New York Sun.
For many years the two western states
which have enjoyed generally virtual
monopoly of peculiar legislation are Kan
sas and Nevada, but there are few western
states which have not, at some time or
other, and do not now, from time to time,
adopt statutes which seem unduly radical
in conservative communities in the east
and south. The "anti-treating" law, a
statute designed by the Carson Legislature
to abate the evils of .intemperance in
Nevada, did not work well in that state
and was repealed.
Recently there has, been presented at the
Michigan legislature a proposition intended
to promote the cause of sobriety in the
wolverine state 10y a statutory enactment
| of a some what similar kind. 1t proposes to
decrease the number of customers of liquor
saloons by taxing each individual drnker.
Cities and towns may issue ''tippling
licenses at a uniform price Of 81 a head.
The name and number of every license
must be Published, so that the thirsty ones
in each community may be known to the
general public if they are not already
known. No dispenser of drinks may sell
a man any spiritucus beverage until he
produces his license, and no license is trans
ferable.
the rights Of citizenship the persons follow
ing: Any one under guardianship, idlotic
or insane, or who has, at any place, been
convicted of treason, felony, embezZiement
of the public funds, bartering or selling or
offering to barter or sell his vote, or pur-
chasing or Offering to purchase the vote Of
another, other infamous crime and who
has not been restored to the rights of ciu-
Zenship, or who, at the time of such cleo
ton is confined in prison On conviction of a
criminal offense. or who is biganiist or
polygamist, or is living what is known as
a patriachial, plural or celestial marriage
or in violation of any law of this state or
of the United States fOrbidding any such
crime; or who. in any manner teaches, adj
vises, counsels, aids or encourages any per-
son to enter into bigamy, polygamy, or
such patriarchal, plural or celestial mar
rlage or to live in violation of any such
law, or to commit any such crime; or who
is member of or contributes to the sup
port, aid or encouragement of any order
organization, association, corporation or
society which teaches, advises, counsels
encourages or aids any person to enter into
bigamy, polygamy, or such patriarchial or
plural marriage or which teaches or ad-
vises that the laws of this state prescribe
ing rules of civil conduct are not the
supreme law of the state; nor Chinese or
persons of Mongolan descent"
In Iowa a license is required by house
movers In Florida there is a license fee Of
$50 imposed on all persons who are not cit
liens of the United States who engage in
the culture of spOnges. In Missouri there
is a law against the maintenance of
saloon within 500 feet of any of the prin-
cipal parks of ST. Louis, and also against
display of any Oil painting deemed to be of
an immoral character in any liquor saloon.
In Georgia it was made a misdemeanor
under law passed in 1897, to shoot any
firearms on an excursion train or at
picnic-except in self-defense. In Virginia
there was a fine imposed for profanity
outside of the cities and Incorporated towns
In Kansas, prohibition state, wine or cider
from fruits grown by the maker for his
own use Cor that of his family do not
come within the inhibition against spirits
since 1888. In Idaho the sale of liquors
within one mile of any. camp meeting is
prohibited, under penalty of $500.
By Virginia law articles for use in bill
lard pool not to be let or sold to
college students under twenty-one. Under
the Idaho constitution three quarters of the
jury may render a verdict. and the legisla-
ture Is authorized to provide that in cases
of misdemeanor "five-sixths of the jury may
render verdict In civil actions, too. a
jury may consist of any number of Jurors
less than twelve upon which the parties
may agree in open court"