Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-12
WHAT OUR NElGHBORS SAY,
Law AS a Sword; Not a Shield.

Law is all right enough, but In 1T, as IN
most matters, 1t is possible to have TOO
much of Il good thing. Vermont is law
ridden. Successive legislatures assemble,
and, to make a %pretence of doing some
thing. pass more laws, until tho state Is
tied up with a network CT statutes that no
man can fathom If you doubt this, mako
an honest effort TO post up on your duties
as n citizen by reading the Vermont sta
tItes. You will probably learn to your
surprise that you are doing things every
day that subject you to fine ana posslolo
imprisonment, if taken ~.
Vastly more sense Is shown in law-en-
fcrcement than in law-onaction, but the
possibilities Of our statutes fer causing
trouble and suffering and expense without
any compcnsating public advantages arc
unlimited. If you have an enemy, there Is
a safe and certain way for you TO pay the
grudgc. Read up the Vermont statutes
watch your opportunity end revenge - as
certain as daylight. When complaints arc
made as the law provides. whatever the
aninus, the officers must do their duty in
enforcement. Then the unlicky victim IS
hailed to court tnd branded as a public OIL
fender, convicted and pcnal1zed. "h"r' III
fact he has violated some mere tcchnicaIi-
ty that no one except sn enemy would
stop to notice.
Cases of this kind will occur to all read
ors. A fresh instance Is reported by the
Montpelier JouI nal. A woman of Berlin
was arrested. Under indictment, for Keep
ing an unlicensed dog. She was complain
ed of by n spiteful %neighbor. She was ig-
roiant that she rad violated any law
There was nothing to do but plead guilty.
Her fine OF SIS she was unable to pay, and
would have had to work It out at Rutland
had not friends oojne forward and paid it.
One-third Of the fine wrUng from this
woman went to the vengeful complainant.
The majesty of the law had been vindicat-
Cd and justice smiled in triumph!
The Journal well says:-
This is :he law--it may he good law
but it is not justice. Constables in towns
and policemen in cities of the state are
warranted in shooting at sight all unli-
Censed dogs. Surely that ought to he suf-
iicient to protect the state against "
great number of carines on which the
owners have no: paid the tax provided ty
law.
After the law makers of 1902 have tinker-
ed to their hearts content the woodchuCk,
nuShrat, hedgehog, moose, deer and Cari-
bou laws, amended the age at which a pup
py becomes a dog, framed a new set #
rules for road commissioners, legali7ed the
grand list of a few towns in which the Of
ficers did not know their duty ard uecIl-
ed whether or not it is wise to spray fruit
trees in blossom. they might do worse than
to repeal outright this law pertaining %
unlicensed dogs, which is sure to WORK
har1ships in irdividual eases, and ms
done so in one instance during the present
term Of Washington county court
a similar case occurred in a neighb0riug
town. For sheltcring an unlicensed dog
that had come to him, and then killing IT,
a man was apprehended, and being unable
to settle the case because he was poor ne
was taken to Chelsea jail. where he is
now in confinement. A wife aud three ut