Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-07-12
FOOL LEGISLATION.
A Sample Of That Kind That Tends
to FOment Disgust With Law
and Lawmakers.

The farmers of Kansas are
threatening boycotts on number
of towns because of the use of au.
tomObiles by business men. Sedan,
Winfield, Mcpherson and Abiline
are towns where the automobile is
taking the place Of horses. Many
rnnaways and several serious acei-
dents have occurred to farmers and
their families because of the ex-
cursiOns of autOmobilists into the
country. The farmers horses re-
inSe to pass the big touring cars
III the narrow lanes.
This has led to a general agita-
ton to boycott the towns that per-
nit autOmObilists to tour the,
country round about during the
hours when farmers are coming to
market or returning to their
homes. This plan of getting even
with the owners of automobiles
was suggested by the 'action of
several Missouri towns, especially
HarrisonvilIe, the county seat of
Cass County, where the farmers
met aud agreed to throw their
trade to Pleasant Hill, and other
towns.
= This action caused the merchants
of Harrisonville to regulate" the
running Of automobiles into the
country, so as to avoid the farm
ers on their trips into the town in
the morning aud their return in
the. afternoon.
Recently farmer living east of
Sedan had an experience which he
will not forget. He met an auto
mobile in the road as he was driv-
ing into town. His team SHE'D
and plunged into a barbed-wire
fence. One of his horses was Sc.
verely cut. He extracted the other
horse from the barbed wire and
torn harness, rode it into town
and consulted lawyer. He want
ed to know il automobiles had un-
restricted rights, or if there was a
law on the statute books govern
ing their speed and use,
The lawyer read the farmer an
act passed in 1903, relating to au-
tOmobiles, the first section of
which provides:
That the term automobile and
motor vehicle as used in this act
? shall be construed 90 include all
types and grades of motor vehicles
propelled by electricity, gasoline or
other source of energy, commonly
known as automobiles, motor vehi-
cles, or horseless carriages. using
the public highways aud not run
ming on rails aud tracks. Nothing
in this section shall be construed
as in any way preventing. OBJ.
J structing, impeding, embarrassing
or in any other manner or form
{ infringing upon the prerogative Oi
any political chauffeur to run al
automobilous band wagon at any
rate he sees fit compatible with thu
safety of the occupants thereof
provided, however, that not less
that ten nor more than twenty
ropes be allowed to trail behinC
|, this vehicle when in motion, in or
der to permit those who have beef
!, so fortunate as to escape with thei
. political lives an opportunity to b.
dragged to death; and. provided
further, that when a mangled an,
bleeding political corpse implore
7 for mercy, the driver Of the We
I hiele shall in accordance with tn
S provisions Of this bill, "ThroV
e ont the life line.
e When the lawyer finished read
IS ing this remarkable act the farme
had nothing to say except to ex
|. press his disgust of law and law
' makers in general There are te
6 other sections of this provisio
t which are sober and sane, but th
d farmer did not possess the nery
10 face a court with a law in hi