Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-16
WOULD TAKE AN ARMY
TO RIGIDLY ENFORCE THE LAWS
ON THE STATUTE BOOKS.
All People Are Offenders - The Most
Common Notwithstanding
Matches on Lamp Posts.

1.-THE obsolete laws are so many that 1t
would not be possible to enumerate them,'
said A. B. Duvall, corporation attorney,
to representative of The Star today.
Another attorney who has large criminal
practice said: II think 1t is almost safe to
say that all people are law-breakers. Some
are violators through ignorance, some
through carelessness and some wilfuly. 1t
is hard to say what law is most frequently
violated, perhaps that forbidding the use
Of profane language. 1t Is not possible to
go any place where men are engaged in
outside work without running across vio-
lation of this law. This Is hardly an obso-
lete law for it is enforced once in while,
but the daily violations go unnoticed. Few
people know that there is law imposing
fine of five dollars for scratching match
on a letter box. The government recently
put up some new boxes over the city and al
ready they are covered with criss-cross
made by the people who use a letter box
when they want to light a match. 1t would
pay the government to put plates on the
boxes for this purpose. 1t would save the
paint and the boxes would look neater.
suppose this law has been violated a mill
ion times since the boxes were put up. 1t
Is against the law to throw paper on the
street. The ladies are the greatest yio-
with the remark that it is only a small
piece of paper, but many small pieces
make very dirty street and lots of work
for the 'white-wings.'
ITO enforce rigidly every law on the
statute books would require standing
army. If every member Of the militia in
the District were a policeman there would
not be policemen enough to prevent the
violations have already mentioned. 1t is
against the law to leave a horse standing
yxyith itoh{
times every day Is this law violated? Some
Of the most prominent citizens drive up to
an office or store and rush in for q moment
leaving a horse, or horses, standing not
Knowing that law Is being violated. This
Is one of the uninforced laws. It has never
been repealed, but 1t Is violated so often
that 1t Is practically dead letter, though
the existence of the law would make the
damages very heavy in case of a runaway
and injury to anyone.
There is law against fast driving
which receives little attention, as rule.
Reckless driving is quickly attended to, and
a fast bicycle or speedy automobile at
tracts the attention of the police at once,
but fast horse is admired without the
pulling of watches. This is not a reflection
on the police. The law, like that against
scratching matches. is not enforced rig
idly.
1.-THE law defines the right of the road.
How many good ladies drive where they
please, to the left instead of the right? This
is a violation of law. A very nice-looking
lady with spectacles and yellow mittens
was driving up the avenue on the left side
of the street car tracks the other day and
a policeman stopped her and made her take
the right side of the tracks. Presently she
came back on that side. which again made
her drive on her left. When the policeman
stopped her she said: oh, you get out; you
told me to take this side of the tracks
yourself
ut Is violation Of the law to walk or
stand on the grass in the parks. The law
against this is seldom enforced rigidly. An
officer If he sees the offense committed will
call attention to the law and that is per-
haps all he should do, for the law is vio-
lated thoug'htlessly in most instances. 1t is
not permissible to use the bottles of bot
tiers for any other purpose, and here again
the ladies are the worst violators of the
law. Any bottle stamped or labeled is the
exclusive property of the bother. and to
use bottle of this sort for any other pur-
pose than that for which it was designed
makes the user liable to arrest and fine. A
search of the pantries of the city would, 1
fear, make every house pay fine.
''There are many other laws, of course,
which are not rigidly enforced and some
which receive no attention at all. 1 speak
of these / have mentioned as proof of my
statement that we are all violators of the
law, more or less"