The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-30
DR.. WASSON ASKS
SOMMER WHY NOT
ENFORCE ALL LAWS
Continued from First Page.)

as the Sunday saloon. Yet Sunday
baseball Is played throughout the city
of Newark and the county of Essex.
Policemen are regularly detailed, not to
stop the game, but to protect 1t! Now,
Sunday baseball would be easier to
stop thar the Sunday saloon. One
officer could break up a game of base
ball., and move on and break up a dozen
more In half a day. In fact, a mere
announcement would suffice to keep
most of the young men from attempt
ing it. Not q Sunday. sheriff, when
you are In the county. through all the
hot weather, that you do not, with
your own eyes, see this law violated;
and not a Sunday that you ever make
an effort to enforce 1t. Does, or does
not, Il oath apply to Sunday base
ball? By what construction does your
oath include the Sunday saloon. ana
exclude Sunday baseball? I ask the
question seriously; for 70 must have
some third theory Of official obligation
that obliges you 10 enforce one law OF
which the community disapproves, and
ignore another law of which 1t disap-
proves. Why do you spare baseball
and smite the saloon?
IN avs oi1c o'e
tensions on Sunday are against the law.
Yet the former are regularly held and
the latter frequently. And they are
widely advertised as to be held. Thou
sands of people patronize them. Yet
a mere veto from you the mere an
nouncement tina you would raid the
performance. would prevent 1t. 1t
would be far easier to stop Sunday
bicycle races and Sunday balloon as
tensions than it is to stop the Sunday
saloon. Sheriff, does, or does not, your
oath of office oblige o to enforce the
law against Sunday bicycle races and
Sunday balloon ~ascensions? On what
principle does your oath apply to some
kinds of law-breaking and not to
others? What is the principle of dis
elimination?
"Merrimcnt" Forbidden, Too.
again, dancing, singing, fddling, or
other music for the sake OF merri-
ment' is forbidden, certainly at public
resorts, and probably even at home.
Yet this provision of the law is con-
stantly violated without interference
from you. Why?
But worldly business as well as
amusements on sunday are against
the law of the State. Yet scores of
stores are wide open every Sunday i'm
Newark. 1 have no doubt that I could
easily procur you the addresses of a
hundred. 1t is not only in the Jewish
section hat stores are open on Sunday
but in all sections. Still, 1t is as much
against the law IN the Jewish section
as in the gentle. Moreover, it is not
only drug stores, but general stores.
Net the open drug store Is as much
against the law as any other, except
insofar as drugs may be sold on pre-
scription. hut drug stores sell many
sorts of merchandise, chewing gum.
confectionery, soda water, tobacco. sta .
tionery, combs and brushes. picture
cards. Nor is the offense Of these stores
against the law a slight one; for 1t Is
not liable only to the slight penalty oil
81 provided for In this statute. But as
places where persons habitually resort
to violate the law, these drug stores,
barber shops. general stores, are dis
orderly houses, whose proprietors and
clerks could be sent to the penitentiary
and pu. In stripes. l am no lawyer,
but this is the Interpretation of the law
given me by a very eminent lawyer OF
this city. whose name l will gladly give
you publicly If you ask for 1t. Now,
does not your oath to enforce the law
require you to close these stores and
shops? If you see the law violated
must you wait till a formal complaint
is made? Must the policeman refrain
from interfering with the midnight
burglar till the sleeping occupants
formally call his attention to the situa-
tion?. Besides, there are the peanut
stands, the lem onade stands, the near
beer places-all doing business as though
there were no sheriff of Essex county.
They are against the law. Why does
not your oath oblige you TO suppress
them, since the police do not?
Sunday Travel Inhibited.
and then there is the inhibition OF
Sunday railway travel, except as pro-
vided for. Do o prevent the railways
from running more than one train In
each direction Of a Sunday? And do
you veto the carrying on this train Of
any person not citizens of the State?
And do. you permit freight trains to be
operated on Sunday? If ydd do, why?
rs it not a fact, sheriff. that you en-
force some laws and ignore others; and
that some that you ignore would be
really easier to enforce thar some that
you do enforce?
"Now, 1 ami addressing you in no
captious spirit. But I am honestly seek
ing to learn on what principle of dis
elimination you enforce some laws and
not others. The public cannot judge
you rightly till it knows your concep-
ton of your duty. For instance, If a
citizen should call your attention to all
these open stores and shops, and base
ball games, and bicycle races. and
numerous railway trains n freight
trains, would you put a stop to 1t all?
And II not, why not?
Next Sunday all this manifold law-
breaking will be in progress in the
county of which you are sheriff. You
know it. What is your duty with ref
erence to it? Will you inertly permit
it? There Is your oath. h bearing
has 1t on these violations of the law?
Will your oath permit you to let this
law-b-eaking and these la~w-breakers go
unwhipt of justice? You are severe on
the saloon-keeper who violates the law.
/ Why are you Indifferent as regards
these pleasure-makers and storekeepers
who violate the law? Why is Sunday
baseball all right. and the Sunday sa-
loon O wrong?
at will here for convenience and con-