The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-10-02

srly and practical morality against the
party controlled by an element which
believes in coercion and sham NOR.
ality. party which proclaims him
who drinks glass Of beer ia an open
saloon sinner. bat crowns him who
gets beastly drunk in a blind tiger with
the halo Of martyrdom. II is a fight
for the freedom Of the state from dom
Ination by church and preachers.
1t is all sham and hypocrisy. It is
the hypocritical policy Of the Repub-
llcans just now to hold the brewers re-
sponsible for every transgressiOn any
where from a mere fstic alteration
TO race riots like that in Springfield.
Ill. and thus create against them an
unwarranted prejudice.
Why Certain Laws Can't Be Enforced.
II is not 10 be denied that there
exists in our country a great deal Of
lawlessness and disrespect OF law
But whose fault is IL? The brewers
or the saloon keepers? Would Il be
in their power TO cause any violation
of law. IL there were no people ap-
proving its violation II there is a
general violation Of Law 70 is the fault
Of the lawmakers who make laws to
which a large part OF thr people do
not readily Yield because they DO not
consider wrong what the law forbids
Mr. William Travers jerome the we'll
known district attorney OF New York.
in a little book of his entitled The
Liquor Tax Law in New York. says:
Under democratic forms Of GOV
eminent based upoR universal
suffrage. a law is not permanently
enforceable by authorities locally
elected or appointed. when the
acts prohibited are OF such a char
acter that considerable number
OF inhabitants OF such locality do
not consider the prohibited acts
immoral in themselves, and do not
yield willing obedience to the
Law"
In south and Central America laws
OF this character would probably cause
not and revolution. But the Ameri-
cans being a peaceable. order-Ioving
people simply hold the law in con
tempt and violate it openly OF clan
destineiy But the danger is that con
tempt Of one law may lead to contempt
OF other laws. and contempt OF law
must r. the end. be Of demoralizing
effect The average American citizen
Is inclined TO be law-abiding. When
ever signs 10 the contrary appear II is
the fault OF the law-maker. who makes
laws of which he knows. or should
know az least. that one-half OF the
population consider them tyrannOus
and will violate them without consci-
entious scruples And the worst Of II
is that the lavgivers themselves have
no scruples in violating them or caus-
ing them 10 be-riolated: that they are
we'll aware Of the evil effect OF such
laws. but are towards In politics and
sacrifice their conscience and their
honesty TO political interests Of their
own or their party.
Let m again quote Mr.. Jerome:
When a large portion Of the
community look upon an act for
bddeu as not immoral or OF very
minor immortality. and the pun
ishmerts imposed by the Law are
very severe. blackmail and perjury
become appalling in amount and
character upon any attempt 10 en-
force the law. In addition. II the
Law affects a considerable number
In the community. either In their
pecHniary Interests OF because
contrary 70 their habits OF life and
thought the local political life Of
the community is degraded and
complicated. the public service is
debauched and even the courts and
4 jury system. both grand and petit.
! are seriously Affected
1t is well known that disrespect OF
one Law causes disrespect OF other and
eventually all laws. and II this inevi-
table eject appears. then those who
made the laws which were sure TO be
violated have the temerity TO lay the
blame on others.
The real parties that are 70 be
blamed for disorders. disrespect and
lcontemp' Of law are the Prohibition.
lists. the Anu-Saloon League. and the
Republicau party controlled by them
IConceding even TO them good inten-
tions as FAR as temperance is con.
cerned. still they may say. like Meph.
istopheles In Goethe's Faust. Il am a
part OF that mighty power which Wills
the good. hu: ever creates evil"
The Brewers and Liquor Dealers In
Politics.
Equally hyp critical are their accla.
nations against the brewer and the
liquor interests In politics. Whose
fault Is IL that they are in politics !
Can il be expected that these men will
stand idly BY and see their business
interests constantly attacked and en-
dangered? The average hardware
dealer does not busy himself with pol
itics You can, easily make him do 50
by attacking and endangering his bus
Iness interest The average drygoods