The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-14


selves violating the law and winhing
at its violation. F5r instance. a short
time ago one riilrpsd desired to cross,
another; our Inv pF9slaes how this
shall be done; hut there was a riot
and almost loss Of NE by the wan.
ton Disregard OF the law. and yet
these railroad Companies have mil.
lions Of dollars of properly, Of which
the law is the only protection: and
they spend thousands ofsdoliars In the
employment of special police and dc.
Electives TO hunt down men who in.
jare their property IN violation of the.
law. the Legislature having enacted
special statutes for the protection of
their property. One OF the leading
cities Of the State has had to guard
certain Of its streets and obtain In.
functions from the court. in order to
keep railroad company from appro,
prlaling the street. under cover OF
dizziness. in wanton violation of the
law. How foolish it is for men to
think that they can SOW the wind
and not reap the whtrlwlnd.. We
sometimes see statements in the news.
papers. to the effect that mayor so
ami SO. or chief of police so and SC.
is going 10 enforce certain ordi.
nance Of his municipal corporation
for certain time. OF on some certain
day: and higher executive officers are
sometimes importuned by good citi.
2cns not to enforce certain laws
which they do not think well of. and
a half wink of violations of certain
laws under certain circumstances.
What right has an executive officer.
whether he be chief of police,
map5r.'or governor. to decide what
laws he will enforce and what ne will
not enforce? II he can do this, he can
mrte himself u dictator. for he can
tut himself above the laws, and In
fact make law. because If he can alb.
rcsste one law by failing to enforce 1t,
he practically becomes the law-muk.
ar DO not the citizens see that all
this is most dangerously misch ;evo.s,
aest Give of every safeguard abo 1t
our 'cpeity and our liberties, aud is
pottinS dynamite under the very foun.
da,ions of our civil government
! One onenforced law breeds con.
tempt ON all Laws do not enforce
themselves. The commission of
crime. SO far MS It is deferred. by law,
is ne; deferred by the severity of the
penalty neeily SO much as by he Ger.
tainty Of The infection of the penalty
A man Knows that IL he puts his t-anl
in tie fire he will. surely suffer the
conae1uentc s. If he knew that he
would as surely suffer the penalty &c
a violation Of civil law as he would
a violation Of natural law. he would
then have the same regard for the
former MS he has for the latter; but
IN proportion to the laxity of the en-
forcement Of the law will men take
risks acting up the principal that all
men are mortal but themselves. Since
| | became Governor of West Virginia
! I have become profoundlng impress
eli with The want of enforcement OF
The law in this State. owing to the
complaints I have, received and from
observations in thiE regard. BY rea-
son Of tn. fact that the Constitution
say. the Governor shall be the chief
executive authority and shall take care
that the laws he enforced, by reason
Of the fact that in the popular mind
the Governor Is endowed with power
10 enforce the law. when he Is not.
AMI Is therefore popularity held re-
span:ihie where he Is not given pow
cr, whereas responstbillty. can not go
where power is not given-r am hui.
inflated and embarrassed. and pro-
founi'y regret this dtsgracefui condi.
ton cf affairs in our State.
The Governor is not the chief exc.
cutive in fact. and he does not have
power 10 enforce the laws: he Is
largely fgure-head, aud so is the
Attorney General am often humil-
tied by the fact that men who engage
in certain lines of business are care
full 10 comply with the laws of the
United States concerning the conduct
Of that business. but show con.
tempt for the laws OF the State con-
corning the conduct OF the same bust
ness. The reason that they respect
the laws OF the federal government
is because these laws are much bet
ter enforced than ours; and why are
they much better enforced? The an
swcr TO this question will get at the
heart Of the whole subject. The fed
ersl laws are better enforced because
there Is concentration of power and
responsibility for the purpose; there
is organization and. machinery some
what adequate for the purpose. The