The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-29
ENFORCING THE LAW.

It was General Grants idea, and the idea was good ,ne, that the way to test the usefulness and popularity of law is to enforce it. It ought rot to lie within the power of a prosecuting officer and the police to suspend the law for any reason. If he has reason to believe that the law is without ropular sup- port he should advocate i's repeal be- fore the body which c;cs;ed it. If he needs definite information upon the subject from a popular point of view he can obviously best get 1t through enforcement
 This is evidently the view of Chief Cowles of tho police department and 1t is such an Important view that in ex- pressing it in his Gwn words il man. ner to impress both the force and the public he deserves the support and connmendation of the press. "There will be no selling of liquor in New Ha- ven on Sunday" says Chief Cowies to a representative of The Journal and Courier T am going to make an en- deavor to stop it and that as soon as possible" It is not Chief Cowles' busi- ness nor does he assume it is to dis cuss the cosmopolitan character of New Haven's population and the excuse that fact may present for q more liberal in- depreciation of the Sunday laws. The only business which confronts him is to ascertain what the laws require of him as the guardian of the peace and nor als of the city and execute them Tn the judgment of many law-abiding and self-respectlng people the rule of con- trol which may easily be adopted dn a town of comparatively few people can not be enforced in city the size ot the four or five large cities of the State. But when the question is put in practical fashion as to what is best to be done, 1t admits of but one an- swer. If the saloons are to be permit ted to do business on Sunday it should come through an act of law and mol | through the generosity of the police force.
 The General Assembly last winter passed law forbidding saloons to maintain side and back rooms. Chief Cowles proposes to see that that law is enforced and in order to do so fairly to all concerned Is going about it in q l methodical manner The saloons have 1 certain rights which should be observed and one of them is to be given a suff1- cient time to adjust themselves to th' new law. This the new chief of police | will do, but when the time is up he | will expect the saloons to take th' medicine they win have in the mean time prepared for themselves This is so pre-eminently fair and just tha' the lawless among the saloonkeepers 1 will deserve no sympathy if they ar, caught The reason for the enactment
 of such laws has its justification il
 human. experience, but if for any req
 son they are found not to apply unde
 ever-changing conditions that fact cal
 only be established by enforcing them
 Mayor Johnson of Cleveland has de
 vised very clever method of convey
 ing to the licensed traders of that cit. that he is in office among other thing
 to see that the laws of the State anC
 the city are enforced, and doubtles!
 Chief Cowles knows of it. When h, l finds a licensed trader who undertakes
 to monkey with the situation he sta
 tions an officer in front of his place o business as hint as to the fate il
 store for him if he persists in constru
 ing public rights his way That a sim liar idea has taken root in MT. Cowles
 head we estimate to be among the mos
 encouraging signs of the time. And
 is quite unnecessary to add that he wi
 find The Journal and Courier back 0
 him in every attempt he makes to en
 force the law. If enforcement mean
 education in the folly of the law W
 shall be equally enthusiastic in suppoi
 of it's repeal.