The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-23
PLACES FOR ACQUIRING INFORMA-
TION AS TO LAWS AND CUSTOMS.
Extreme Awe and Reverence Inspired
I'm Youngsters by Joseph Cham
berIain and the Policeman.

IldllOH regarding the manners customs ana
laws of this country such as could scarcely
come TO him In any other way Just now
one is forcibly reminded in these temples
of petty justice what mistake was made
when, some years ago, the compulsory vac
cination law was modified in the interests
of those who might allege conscientious
objections to vaccination because of posi-
BILE injury from it. Originally every infant
must be subjected to this precautionary
ordeal, or the parent, i'm default was sub
jected to a fine, and, in case of continued
defiance, to a term of Imprisonment. With
characteristic John Bullishness thousands
of English parents fought this law to the
last issue That is, they made martyrs of
themselves and went TO Jail. rather than
have their children vaccinated, and the
pressure became strong that Parliament
yielded to it. To gain exemption one must
appear in court and get a certificate from
some magistrate. But there is the rub,
for in these scary times, with smallpox
spreading so rapidly TO get an exemption
certificate from the magistrates is like pull
ing teeth and usually the teeth don't come
out
Here and there a magistrate says 1--WE
have a law and we must administer ii re-
CARELESS of consequences. If exempted
cases contribute to the spread of contagion
the responsibility is with Parliament, not
with us" But very generally magistrates
are lodging, some of them savagely fight
ing this law. Such cases are not brought
forward as a rule until the session is about
to close and often magistrates. after a few
curt remarks, will leave the bench while
so-called conscientious DIRECTORS to vac
cination are still pleading their cause. This
settles the matter for that occasion and the
same process of refusal, or some other
which is equally evasive and tantalizing. is
gone through so often that in many cases
the applicant gets tired and presents his
child for vaccination as the lesser of two
evils. Even when exemption certificates
are granted they not forthcoming until
the magistrate has soundly berated the APP
plicants for their ignorance and folly. This
is done as deterrent to others and in view
of spreading smallpox it might well. divest-
ed of its savageness, be a mark of good
sense in these English magistrates, for in
granting exemptions with reluctance, they
certainly have facts to warrant them,
though their officiousness has no warrant in
law. Up to date the deaths from smallpox
per cent. of unvaccinated and Ii per cent.
of vaccinated cases. while in the case of
children the proportion of deaths was
stated recently by one of the London mag
istrates to be 60 per cent against only
per cent.
CHILD MESSENGER ACT
Quite busy and somewhat perplexed are
the magistrates courts just at this time
hN
under the new child messenger act This
act, under severe pains and penalties. pro-
hibits saloon keepers Cpublicans) from
serving liquor or beer to any child mes
senger under fourteen in any quantity less
than pint. and in any vessel other than
corked and sealed bottle 1t also. under
similar penalties, prohibits parents or any
one else from sending for less than a pint
by these child messengers and from send
ing them with any vessel that cannot be
corked and sealed. One object of this new
law is 10 keep children out of public
houses. Hence the pint, rather than the
smaller measure, necessitating less fire.
quent visits to such places. while the
corking and sealing is a precaution in
tended to preclude the surreptitious indul-
gence of the child messenger on the way
home. The law only came into effect with
the new year. and that prosecutions should
have begun almost Immediately, all of them
inaugurated by the police, shows clearly
that in England, when law has moral
sentiment behind it, there is no doubt
OF it's being enforced, and no doubt that
its execution can be safely left to the po-
lice department. 1t is infinitely to the
credit of England that the laws governing
and restricting the drink traffic are as scru-
pulously enforced as any laws on the stat
ute books.
For this result, however, credit must be
given not only to the police, but to the
publicans, who, whatever may be said
of the results of their business. are az
law-abiding a class of tradesmen as the
country affords. In the case of this child
messenger act there have been. il is true
numerous prosecutions but in no instance
have the magistrates found that the ac
cused publicsns transgressed the law with
malice or even willfully and knowingly. and
this, Of course, has led TO marked leniencv
in the infection of fines. AS a rule. tho
the magistrates have not had these con-
victions Endorsed on the publicans license
and for this latter act Of clemency pub
licans may well be thankful as thev m
doubtedly are because. when a license has
three convictions upon it. it must be for
feited, and the one who held il Is de-
barred from getting another; is practically.
in fact, driven out OF the business.
POINTS TO BE SETTLED.
This, perhaps. is one OF the chief reasons
why English saloon keepers are so jealous
in keeping the law and so careful TO make
as few appearances as possible at the bar
of the Police Court. In proof OF their
scrupulous care in this matter 1t is inter
esting to note that there are many districts
/ in London and in other large towns In
which. apropos of the new child messenger
act, publicans have agreed together not TO
serve children under fourteen with any
/ thing, in any kind of vessel, and have
posted notices to this effect on their win