The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-06-11
INFORMATION WANTED

"oiAi"n ana not supposed
to know anything about how laws are
made or why they are made. We women
are classed with Cinnamon and IDIOTS
and are not allowed a voice in the
choice Of our lawmakers, or those who
enforce the laws. It is a woman, S pre-
rogative, however, to ask questions, and
there are certain things which have
happened in our city lately which have
puzzled me greatly
Who decides the amount to be paid
in fines for breaking laws9
Why are some fines SO ridiculously
small for what seems to be a most seri.
GUS crime, and other crimes 50 ridicul,
ously large for what seems no crime at
all?
Do those who make the laws fix the
penalties?
A few days ago boy was found in
toxicated and the man who was arrested
for the crime Of selling him the liquor
was allowed to go free because the boy
was again intoxicated and unable to
talk. Why wasn't the man put under
bonds like any other criminal until the
boy was able to appear?
The justice said the boy could not
give evidence. [ think he gave over
whelming evidence that he got whiskey
somewhere and if the arrested man was
not the guilty one it was the duty Of
hn 10 L
guilty.
Two days afterward a man shot a
rabbit and was fined $24.0O!. What
makes the tremendous difference in the
two crimes committed?
About two or three years ago we had
similar cases; two little boys were
found drunk in an alley down town
and the barkeeper who sold them the
liquor pleaded guilty and was fined So.
Think of it! for such terrible crime
as that and about a week afterward
man was arrested for hunting without
a license and was fined $4,000.
Now [ would like to know if Keno
sha justices really believe that a rab-
bit or black bird, or perhaps a sucker
or two, are worth ten times as much as
a boy? I have boys of my own and
IT rabbits are so much more valuable
| had better kill off my boys and raise
rabbits; they are, at least better pro-
tected in Kenosha than boys. What
man can estimate the worth of a bow
any way? It is the mother who goes
into the valley Of death to give him life
and who cares for him day and night,
IN sickness or health, all through his
infancy and young childhood, who
knows his worth, and could rabbits. or
any thing else on Gods earth reconcile
her to his ruin?
Now no one has been found yet who
sold the liquor to that boy who has been
intoxicated twice in the last few DAYS:
Why? The game warden does his duty,
why can t the chief of police do as
well? If our houses are broken into
and robbed, the police try at least to
find the robber, but if our boys are rob
bed Of their brains and will power, which
God gave them to raise them above the
brute creation and which makes them
A little lower than the angels, - our
police force trouble themselves not at
all to find the robber. I would far
rather man would put bullet through
my boys heads than to teach them to be-
come drunkards, for Christ says: Clear
not them which kill the body, and are
not able to kill the Soul" and emo
drunkard shall inherit the kingdom Of
God''
L am very thankful that my boys
are still young enough to be tied to
their mothers apron strings, but some
time they must Of necessity be given
more freedom, if they are to become
Independent and self reliant and /
tremble to think Of it.
The saloons have been given the right
by law to conduct their business and
we mothers can only hope that the re-
form wave will reach here before long,
but the saloons should conduct their
business in lawful manner and they
certainly have not the right to debauch
our boys and girls and the penalty
should be severe for such crime.
Now understand please, that do not
object to the man being fined for shoot
ing the rabbit or hunting without a
license, they should be punished for law
breaking, but it is the heavy fines for
them in comparison to small ones or
none at all for the men whose crimes
were so much greater; if any one can
tell me why there is such difference
In the two penalties, I shall be CRATE
full. | am anxious to learn.
A Mother of Boys.