The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-01-14

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ttor Oh the peace throughout the state"
IL Is my purpose TO carry out that man
date OF the constitution. / believe that
X the law Is on he statute books It
should be observed. II II be a bad law,
the remedy is 70 repeal, not TO ignore II
Disregard Of one law breeds dlsrespeCt
Tor ai law, and there is entirely too little
respect for the majesty Of the law. Good
invn will observe Dad laws and bad men
VIII break good laws. II should be 50
that ali men be compelled to observe
every law, because IL is the aw. That
viii BRING good laws and get rid Of bad
laws. ~ virtue OF the power vested IN
the executive, II IS my intention TO see
that the laws are administered equitably
throughout the state. If any prosecuting
attorney fats to discharge his duty, or
neeos assistance, l shall direct the attor-
ney general, under the statute, TO aid
h-m. This will entail extra work on the
attorney-generalS office In addition 10
the burdens alrtady resting on that de-
partment. The attorney-generals Office
ought to be adequately supplied with
hep. and IL is not now. There is no
economy In stinting the department Of
justice, for the object OF having govern
ment at all is to ave laws n TO have
those laws enforced. 1t Is folly to enact
laws and have the facilities for enforcing
those laws inadequate. Laws that are
not carried out are as useless as arms
In war that are not used.
No License For Wrong.
The state should not license gambling
In any form, whether II be a lottery or
pool selling on horse races, and the per-
nicious elect on public morals is not
l~esscned by requiring a fence to be put
around the place where the racing Is car
ried on. The law should not sanction
n practice that pollutes the youth and
degrades the men of the state. There Is
no magic In a license to change moral
wrong into innocence.
Good Roads
Good roads are conducive to good gov
eminent, Each session OF the legislature
has enacted road laws, noneof which have
heen satisfactory. A constitutional
vldlng for a tax whereby the road sys-
TEN can be put on the same basis as the
public school system. under state super
vision. Each county can IN have good
roads, with less cost h most of the
counties arc now paying. 1t takes as
much skill and knowledge TO build a road
.Lroperly as II does to c0nstruct-a rail-
: way, A, state road engineer, ought, TO. be
provided for, one skllled in the ways Of
road building, to oversee. and supeEintend
the construction of highways over the
state. With this. officiasQands the cOnsti-
tutional amendment referred to, there is
no reason why we should not have a
splendid road system from one end of the
state TO the other at comparatively little
cost.
RefOrmRtOry For First Offenders.
Another reform that will do much in
Uplifting mankind is the establishment OF
a reformatory where. first offenders
against the criminal law may be clnfiaed,
instead of being put in the penitentiary
to be associated with those hardened IN
the ways Of crime. Every man imb.bes
something from those with whom he is
thrown in contact, and the first offender,
who IS In constant ASSOCIATION with Old
Cffenders, is apt to become a confirmed
criminal, The object of punishment for
crime Is not revenge, but as an xampi
and it should be the effort of the stata
to REFORM not to DEGRADE, with first
offenders removed from confirmed Grim
mails, in many instances they may be ed
ucated back to moral ways and made
Useful citizens of the state.
General Legislation.
The compensation Of the excise commits
sioner is out of proportion to what is
paid other public officials. He hou be
put on a reasonable salary and all fees
paid into the state treasury.
There is urgent necessity for the re-
vision OF the statute laws of our state.
Revisions heretofore made have been
done hastily, with the result that the
statutes are full of contradictions, III
ing uncertainty as to what the law Is.
a commission of men learned in the law
ought TO be provided for to revise the
statutes. Let obsolete laws be repealed,
let Inconsistent statutes be reconciledi
make the laws certain and just and lei
them DC enforced.
A remedy should be provided for the
negligent deaths of adult unmarried per
sons by giving the father or mother the
right to sue Under the present Law
there is no remedy in sue instances,
Strange to say, If a railroad, for in
stance, Injuries one over Il years of ag.
and unmarried the damages are unlim'
tied, but If, instead of i%njuring, the rail-
road kills, no damages can be recovered
at all. The law makes IL economical
from a financial standpoint, L
kill instead OF merely 10 MAIN
The limb Of a bachelor Is val
liable, but the life of a bachelor is no
worth anything under the law. This Il
one Of the humors of the law, but II II
not justice. II often happens that al
adult, while having no wife or husband
may have a dependent mother or father
and they, at least. should have a right o.
action In such instances. This should b.
done as a matter of justice, and, farther
to prevent loss Of life, for when a cor
poratlon must pay in damages for th'
lives II takes by negligence It will natur
ally be more careful.
State Finances.
The financial condition of the state Il
gratifying; the splendid management o