The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-04-10
Contempt For the Law
"BE IT ENACTED"


Throughout the country state legislative bodies have
ceased their troubling and the weary are at rest Laws
have been added to laws and statutes The
bulk of legal ENHANCEMENT has grown still larger If it is
true that ignorance of the law then all must
go uneXcused because such is the ody of enacted
Is is physical mpossbilty to know the law. According
to computation every citizen breaks every day-gnorany
ten statutes ordinances 1t is therefore very difficult
to quarrel with Dr. Lyman Abbott when he characerzes
Americans as a of la wbreakers
In view of these appalling facts it would better be-
legislators and aldermen to substitute for the
enactng title another Formulate BE TT REPEALED
law that not kept is ncomparaby than law
To habltuay break the law to ect it's provisions to
deny defy the law is to bring contempt upon the law
more than that 1t spells the ruin of the character of the
law deers. And when there is substituted for the
mon rule of actioneither by enactment nonenforce
ment-exemptons special privileges, that way lies an
archy.
These considerations appear in connection with the re-
cent successful attempt of Gov Folk of Missouri to enforce
of the laws of that commonwealth Sunday closing
law as to saloons. The following is from Kansas City
dispatch to Chicago newspaper:
''At midnight Saturday night the town closed up like
steel trap Hotel bar roOns Saloons barrel houses drug
stores and place where liquor sold under the
ban. Up to midnight Sunday only arrest for drunken
had been made and the unsteady prisoner conded to
the policeman that his wabbly appearance was due to
steady imbibing for the past three days.
The dispatch says further that because of the Sunday
closing in Kansas City there hegra to Kansas City,
Kansas Across the river On the Missouri side all the
lights out the Kansas side all blaze of light
and extra bartendes had to be employed Kansas be it
remembered is prohibition state and here is another il
usraon of law defiance and the contempt for law that
goes without enforcement 1t is not good make the law
a standing joke.
The dispatch goes to say 'The saloon keepers fear
that Governor Folk will enforce the closing order during
his four years term of Office which will mean loss to them
of many hundred thousands of dollars and an effort will
he made to bring about revocation of the order''
Note carefully the language of the dispatch There is
unconscious confession in the words The saloon keepers
fear Folk will enforce the closing order'-NOT THE
LAW-revoked They want to resume defiance of the law
matter of course Also the dispatch says the churches
held special prayer meetings the enforcement of the
law O. and that the churches will undertake special eff
forts to make % the ORDER NOT THE LAW-permanen
The saloon keepers will try to revoke the order; the
churches will try to make the ORDER permanent What
about the law? Is it's enforcement unusual to require
special thanksgiving 1t would appear And have ne
ther the church members the saloon keepers faith
that the enforcement of the law will be continued? 1t
would appear
Do you where getting to because of habtua
law breaking and reinforcement? When an honest gov
says he will enforce the laws Of his neither the
law supporters the law breakers understand what
means believe what he says