The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-04
Good People Transgress the statutes
without Ever Giving the Matter
Single Thought.
LAWS'THAT ARE EASY TO BREAK
GATES IN THE CITY FORBIDDEN To
SWING OUTWARD.
The Ordinance Against Fast Driving
Causes Endless Trouble-Many
Other Matters.

in answer TO critics who complained that
every law was not being enforced. that
everybody was lawbreaker. more or less,
that everybody always had been law
breaker and that, in all probability. every
body always would be a lawbreaker-or
words to that effect. Strange as it may
seem. this sweeping assertion of the mayor
was perfectly true. There never has been
a community where every legal command
was obyed to the letter, and indianapolis
is no exception TO the rule. IL this city
were an exception ii would be in class by
itself.
Citizens of Indianapolis-and good citi-
zens too-move along quietly day after
day violating a dozen or more city ordi-
nances or even laws OF the government,
without being bothered in the least by
guilty conscience and without worrying at
all over possible consequences. Many peo-
pie are entirely ignorant of the existence OF
the laws that they are continually break
ing, while others, knowing that such laws
exist, break them either through thought
lessness or else because they do not con-
slider them worthy of strict obedience IL
is safe to say that there are very few
adult citizens of Indianapolis to-day that
have always complied with every city or
dinance or every law on the governments
books. The police say that to enforce
every ordinance and every law would re-
quire at least 1000 officers and the State
militia. Doubtless the police are right.
DEFACING PROPERTY.
First of all, many men strike matches on
mail boxes. This constitutes a defacement
of government property and is punishable
by a fine of s. or ten days imprisonment
Just notice a crowd of men talking to-
gether on a street corner near a mail box
and observe that, nine times out of ten,
one Of them will light his cigar or cigarette
by striking a match on the box. which
chances to be the most convenient thing
for the purpose. The federal officers know
full well that this violation of "A United
State law takes place every day in the
year right here in Indianapolis. but they
cannot be forever on the lookout for INC
is made for this offense.
There is a city ordinance forbidding
citizens to permit the gates in front OF
their houses TO swing outward At the
time when most of the houses of the city
were hemmed in from the street with
fences this ordinance was generally obeyed.
DIS IL was DIOuSHl 10 the dlltHliOl VI tNtfe-
body. But nowadays. when front yard
fences are not common, you will nnd
gates in every part of the city-and often
as many as two or three on a single block
swinging toward the street instead OF
toward the property to which they belong.
What policeman ever thinks of arresting
these law-breakers? No policeman inter-
feres for the reason that Of the older menu
bers of the force. only about one in five
remembers anything about the ordinance
and the bluecoats recently added to the
force are doubtless just as ignorant of the
existence of the ordinance as arc many OF
the newer residents of the city.
Indianapolis people are very. careless
about hitching their horses when leaving
their vehicles to visit some residence or
business place. Few horses are hitched.
i'm fact. Yet ii is a misdemeanor not 10
hitch your horse and the offense is punish
able by a fine of not less than 81 nor more
than $40. 1t was once made the duty OF
policemen to take UP unhtched horses and
arrest their owners or drivers. But the
policemen do not perform this Office any
more-not because they are negligent OF
their duty, but simply because the ordi-
nance has become one of the .'unenforced''
list-a list that is i'm existence i'm every city
of the whole United States. Occasionally
an unhitched horse runs away and creates
all sorts of trouble, humping into things.
smashing into a buggy, injuring two or
three people and perhaps killing himself.
The people who are hurt may legally pro-
coed against the owner of the horse. and
the city can, IL it so chooses, punish him
severely.
FAST DRIVING.
Fast driving and driving To the left are
both prohibited by law, but If the police
men of Indianapolis were TO devote their
attention TO the enforcement OF these or
dinances. they would be running foot races
from morning till night every day I'm the
week. TO see policeman scurrying down
the street, his coattails futtering in the
breeze. would cease to be a novelty. and
if any stranger should ask the cause of the
commotion you would merely say. as you
went about your work, "Oh, that's nothing
just a copper doing his regular stunt OF
trying to catch fast driver. OF course ho
will never catch him, but it's his business
TO try. anyway" In fact. there is 80 little
regard for this city ordinance that In
dianapolis would be compelled to in
augurate a mounted police force IL heroic
attempts were to be made to compel people
TO desist from the practice. During the
recent busy shopping season just preceding
Christmas there wasn't delivery wagon
i'm town that was not hurried about on its
rounds just fast its driver could
make his horses go. And II a policeman
should hold up a warning finger at the
driver the latter would draw reins so that
his horses would move more slowly until
out OF sight of the officer around the next
corner-and then 'git up"
AS for driving TO the left. the fair sex
is the greatest offender. Any down town
policeman will tell you that it's an all
most hopeless job TO make woman under
stand that there is city ordinance for
bidding her 10 turn her horse I'm the wrong
direction. The trouble is" explained one
policeman. thoughtfuily, most OF 'em
don't know their left from their right. and
If they do finally get the matter straight-
ened out in their heads they get all balled
up again as soon as they turn around. They
can't figure II out. for instance. that n
makes all the difference In the world
whether they are driving east west