Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1905-04-21

ment is favorable, it is fairly we'll en-
forced. But other sections Of the state
are settled by people with different
ideas from their eastern brethren re-
garding the regulation of the traffic.
They do not believe in the prohibition
law, and they have little sympathy
with its enforcement. A large pro-
portion of them are men Of Teutonic
blood from across the ocean, and they
think they have us much right to
their beer and schnapps us they have
to their coffee and tea. This class
believes that temperance and not
teetotalism is the end to be desired.
1t is not remarkable, therefore, that
in counties where this feeling pre-
ponderates there is lax enforcement
Of the law. 1t is to be regretted, but
it is a fact, that state laws aud city
ordinances not In harmony with public
opinion are always IL dead letter in
the United States. 1t was so regard
ing the Fugitive Slave Law in near
ly all parts Of the north. i,
90
During the writer's recent service
on the state affairs committee Of the
legislature members remarked con-
cerning some law: "Well, it might
just, as we'll be repealed. if people
do not observe it any better in other
parts Of the state than they do in our
section" On the floor Of the house,
referring to the law that no two civil
townships in the state shall have the
same name, a prohibition leader said:
"We have civil townships in our
county that bear the same names as
townships previously named. But we
haven't changed the names of our
townships: we simply Ignore the law"
And yet the same gentleman would
wax wrathful with indignation ii ref
erence should be made to those sections
In which public opinion was antagonis-
tic to the enforcement Of the prOhibi-
tion law and where it was practically
a dead letter. The facts is that our
code contains many laws that are not
enforced in many sections Of the state.
Take the nOxiOus-weed law, for in
stance. In this section. where there
is 50 much vacant land, and where
noxious weeds grow Oh gopher and
badger mounds as we'll as anywhere
else where the soil is upturned, it
would bankrupt every western county
should the authorities attempt in
good faith to enforce the law.
A law passed at the recent session
requires that weeds must be cut along
public highways. This law was said
to be badly needed in tire well-settled
portions Of the state, where people
are compelled to travel along certain
public roads, and nowhere else, for
the reason that the weeds catch the
snow and make such roads almost i'm
paSsible at times. Out here the
authorities of the various counties
will undoubtedly pay no attention to
the law, for the very good reason that
1t would require vast outlay which
the evil done by weeds along the roads
in these parts does not justify.
The same is true Of many laws that
are passed for the government OF a
large state-and especially a new
state settled with people from pretty
nearly everywhere-with different en-
vironmentS and with different condi
tions existing. However Committed
we may be to the abstract theory that
all laws should be enforced, the con.
crete fact is that it is Il matter OF Ut
ter impOssibilIty to apply many o
them in some parts. There is no power
that can enforce all the laws in all the
counties of this state, aud time will
have TO brlnga much greater uniform.
ity Of conditions bef0re it can be done
Then hOw.lnuch better 1t would be /
our fellOw-ciLizens in the populous aut
powerful prohibition sections would
say TO us: 1--WE Can enforce the pro
hibition lazy, in our counties; but time
has demonstrated that it cannot bt
done in many counties. Therefore
ii you do not interfere with til,
system that is successful with US, z,
ahead aud Try something which yol
claim will be better for you In you
Countless"
AS we said in the beginning Of thi
article, an average-sized state IL ttt
! large u unit wherein to successful.
; enforce u sumptuary law. An nattemp
tO apply such u law in all the cOuntie
makes a wretched failure Of 1t II
many. A change to county 0pti01
: would not alter the situation In th0s
: Counties where the present law can b
enforced. 1t would vastly improy
the conditions IN tile large number .
+ counties where tile prohibition ll,
e cannot be enforced.
The Stinxiest Man.
. Richmond Missourian: The sting
( est man lives in Ray county: He W;
married by a justice Of the peace an
paid the bill In turnips. For the wee
y ding trip he took his wife to Rict
! mond in his lumber wagon, and for
s wedding dinner they ate q dime