Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-06
Said on the Streets.

/ Dulu OII Il
No matter what your trouble is
1t might be worse!
Tho each man thinks no wrong like
| his;
| 1t might be worse!
For, tho our prospects fade away
And "all our fondest hopes decay
Tho all our dearest ties be riven-
And tho we die and go to heaven
1t might be worse!
~ p. Devil.
1t was Sunday afternoon and the
three friends after long stroll about
town, were seated in the lobby, en-
Toying smoke and incidentally COM
mently on what they had seen during
their walk. The conversation had
mostly been about the condition of
the streets I'M some portions Of the
lefty, and now they had gotten to the
sidewalks.
ITS matter of fact" said Badly,
that there is an ordinance that has
been lately passed-so lately in fact
that the publication has but barely
ceased-and in consequence it is SO
new that 1t could not easily be for
| mi tao.
that the owners of property in the cor
porate limits shall put the sidewalks
AUDITING their property in repair and
put down cement walks This ordin-
ance carries rider with it to the eff
feet that where the owner does not
lput down the cement walk in given
time, the city shall have It done and
shall collect for the work even If it
has to take the property and sell it,
| "Of course" said Badly, relighting
his cigar and continuing, "the ordin-
lance is not crouched in that language,
nor is the truth told as plainly, but
that's about what is meant. The only
thing about the ordinance that is not
good, is that it is not being enforced,
and I'd just like to know what's the
use of our City Fathers to waste their
valuable time in attending meetings
land passing ordinances at these meet
ings, If they are not going to be en-.
forced?
Its an old saying that laws are
made only to be broken said the
Man from the East, but 1t Is not a
true saying, for laws are generally
made by men who see the need oil
them, and pass them with theintention
that they shall be duly enforced. The
fault lies with the men whose duty II
is to enforce the ordinances Of laws
that become effective through the &C
ton of the lawmakers. When an or
dinance becomes effective the Officer
whose duty 1t may be to see that Law
enforced should be furnished with {
copy OF 1t and should then be he'll
strictly accountable for it,
No one doubts for a moment" salt
Fatty, as he rolled cigarette, "tha
it Is the fault of the officers and no
the lawmakers. Take 1t right here ii
Hattiesburg or for that matter any
, where on earth-and you will find law
: and ordinances which, although the.
! have never been voided by the &C
tion Of the proper authorities, We
they have become obsolete through
custom which Is law unto itself
, For instance, take a law like the anti
, splitting law. which makes 1t an OF
). tense to spit on the sidewalk or il
> public places. Most towns have sucl
i an ordinance and there is not on,
!. in ten that enforces it-simply be
) cause 1t was not popular nor the Gus
r tom of the authorities to enforce law
that were not approved BY the public
What started me on the subject,
said Badly, in pleased manner
which, ] see, meets your approval
twas the fact that the ordinance re
2 ferring to the laying OF cement side
, walks BY the city at the expense o.
! the owners Of the property, is not be
I ling enforced and the condition OF some
! walks right In the business section oil