The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-06-14

the I'M OF laws winch Will prOtect
society; the kind of laws which will
prevent some from encroaching upon
the rights and liberties Of others.
Sometimes these representatives are
not true to the trust that you have
imposed in them. Sometimes they
betray this trust. Sometimes they
do not vote for the kind of laws that
you desire them to vote for. Some
times they break the pledges that
they have made to you, and vote
against the laws they promised to
give you. And sometimes they vote
for laws that they promised not to
support. But then, the remedy is in
your hands. 1t is for you to watch
thir course in the legislative halls,
and If it is not satisfactory, the rem
edy is in your hands. Defeat them
at the next election, or see that they
do not receive your party nomina-
ton. So much for the legislative.
Then we have the judiciary.
Why, if some law is passed and you
think it encroaches upon some con-
| stitutional right, some guaranty that
the constitution gives you, you have
this remedy: You can go into the
court and contest it there. The
constitution gives you the right of
free speech. 1t gives you the free
dom Of the press. You can go out
upon the streets and under the right
of free speech, you can talk to the
people about the law which you deem
is oppressive and which should be
repealed. Or, you can talk to them
in favor of some law that will be
more in harmony with the spirit of
our government. The freedom of
the press is open to you. Then if
you think that any of your con-
stitutional privileges have been
encroached on, you can go into the
courts and determine whether they
have or not. And when the court of
final resort has spoken, then, kind
friends, it is your duty to accept
that as the law and to obey it.
So
= No matter whether we think {:
: it is unjust, no matter whether I:
: we believe in the principles of ::
: the law, it is our duty so long :
: as it is the law to respect it (:
: and to use our influence to en- {:
: force it, because it is the law. :
+: (Cheers.) Because only by :
: forcing the laws is your life, :
: your liberty and your property ::
: safe. :
4:
What is it., I say, that makes an
archy? If the officers whose duty
it is to enforce the law neglect to
enforce 1t, or If they only partially
enforce it, If they prosecute this
man because he is poor and hasn't
the money to defend himself. and
send him to Jail while his richer
neighbor is committing the same
offences day after day; but this
poor man is sent to the penitentiary
or to jail; he comes out and he sees
his more favored neighbor violating
the same law, or perhaps some other
law, and he says, "Well, 1t has
changed here; there has been a
change since I was prosecuted for
violating the law. If he can violate
it, why not II" and he violates II
again, and he is again thrown into
Jail.
= This man has been prose- =
:: cuted for violating laws he did :
: not believe in, when of his own s
:. eyes he knows that others have I:
: not been prosecuted for violat- :
: ing laws they did not believe :
: in. Do you believe that that =
: system will create a patriot out :
: Of this man? Do you believe !
: that he will have any great love :
: for this country or for the laws =
: of this country? No; that is :
: the kind Of enforcement, that is {
: the kind of government, that I:
: makes anarchists. If this man :
: is violating n law, WHY not =
: let him violate some other law, :
: and this other man violate {
: some to her law that he does =
:. not believe in; and the first :
: thing you know you have got :
: lawlessness all around you, :
: and the result will be that no /:
: one will have any respect for =
:. the law. or for those whose =
: duty it is to enforce it. &
Now let me talk to you just a lit.
tie while about system of enforc.
ing the law. Oh, we have got plenty
of machinery; the law is strong
enough and we have plenty Of ma.
chinery to enforce it, II the men
whose duty it is will only put theil
shoulders to the wheel.