The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-01-30

WHY NOT OBEY THE LAW?

Within the past two weeks the sa-
loon men OF Wallace have formed an
organization which they hope will
become state .wide In It's scope. The
object OF the organization Is for self
protection, and to create sentiment
In favor Of repeating the Sunday clos
Ing law by the next Legislature. 1t
goes without saying that one OF Its
objects will be more as a preventative
OF legislation In the way OF the pass
age of a local option law.
The attempt OF the last legislature
TO repeal the antigambling law
should convince the most skeptical
that 1t Is much easier to get law
on the statue books than 1t Is TO get
one repealed. Especially Is this true
OF a law that Is reformatory In its
character. The Recorder believes that
Ii would be best for the saloon In
terests II they accept the situation
as 1t Is and opey the law gracefully
without protest. The more the mat
ter OF selling intoxicants Is agitated
the greater will be the opposition
and the more determined the senti.
ment for It's eventual adjustment.
Tnere should not be any necessity
for a legislature to pass law to
force any element OF the citizenship
OF state to, In measure, observe
the Sabbathh day. Not only because
II may be wrong to desecratc the
Lords day, but because the minority
those who are engaged In an avoea.
tion for gain-should have resp ect
for the opinions OF the majority.
There are religious organizations
which have just as much right TO say
that no business shall be transacted
upon the seventh day as there Is that
only the first snail be obsei we'd.
Therefore. The Recorder would be
opposed to the present Sunday law
were 1t not for the fact that laws are
necessary to force sone men TO re-.
spect the rights OF Others,
The Recorder believes that out OF
the six saloons in Salmon, two OF
them obey the law to the letter, and
are entitled to the credit for so do
ing, Not only does the writer be-
lieve they obey the Sunday law. but
obey the stateslaw In reference to
gambling. On the other hand, un-
questionably there are saloons which
do not obey either law, and defy the
officers TO enforce the law. The re.
cent cases In court for the violation
Of these laws are prima facie evil
deuoe OF this fact. This defiance has
simply stirred up the people and
created sentiment against the sa-
loon, which there was no necessity
for.
The writer passed through the pro.
hibition tights In Kansas and Iowa,
and has some Idea OF what the su.
thorittes are up against in the way
OF prohibition enforcement. This ex-
perience made out OF prohibitionist
an advocate of high license. There
Is no hope for prohibition IN any
state until the sentiment of the PEG.
pie Is worked up to that point. The
writer does believe that the next
thing to prohibition Is u LEGAL option
law. Such law would give every
community the right to say whether
they wanted a saloon In their midst
Or not. This is condition which
the saloons that hold the present law
In defiance are bringing upon them.
selves and the saloons which do obey
the Law. Not only are they bring.
Ing about condition which makes a
local option law Inevitable In the
Dear future. but are bringing about
condition which will abolish sa.
looms where they would have been
permitted to exist were 1t not that
the law breakers are making the 81.
loon business odious.
When saloon man rushes into
print and attempts to abuse news.
paper for eriticising Law breaking
and then lies to the put Tic bv saying
he was obeying the law, after having
been convicted OF two ogenses In the
courts, with another case pending. II
simply makes the saloon business
more odious In the sight OF right
thinking people. The entire situa.
ton can be summed up Ia a nutshell.
and IL Is this: Ry constant opposi.
tion to the existing laws the saloon
simply arouses so much more opposi.
tion to themselves, and the condi,