The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-07
ANorHrR pREAx.

The constant extension of the pater- nalistic sentiment is prominent ev- anywhere. The tendency of law-mak- CTS and regulators to trench on the individual rights and privileges of the citizens grows with what 1t feeds on and 1t is difacult to forecast the re- suit. As long as the people of the country submit to usurpation of power and authority. and without protest see their liberties infringed upon or taken from them. just that long will the evil flourish.
 A noted evidence of this tendency, though on a comparatively small scale, Is announced from the little city of Harrison. N. J. That State, as we all know is more or less given to crank mess and new departures. so we need never be surprised when a new one the Board of Health of Harrison has decided that the go-cart or baby car- riage without springs must go. The Board lately adopted resolution de- claring that this form of vehicle must be abandoned, so far. at least, as their prohibitive power has effect They base their decision on the ground that the bumps and jars caused by these vehicles result in such injuries to the backs of children as to cause serious spinal troubles.
 Just what method the Board will adopt for the abolition of the spring less go-cart," says The Manchester Union. lis not made clear. People who use that particular style of baby car riage. while they may have no spe- eiai objection to discarding it for the more approved style. might seriously object to doing so under proposed com pulsion--might. in fact, stoutly resent such interference with what they re- gard as their personal rights. A few of them may argue that children who have done their riding during infancy in soap boxes on wooden wheels, with out even suggestion of spring. have survived the experience and be- come rugged men and women."
 Without presuming to trench on the domain of medical science or consti- tuted authority we are free to say that this procedure sounds ridiculous. In addition to what The Union says about the many children who have ridden during all or most of their infancy in boxes dragged over the pavement or street we might in'tancs the thous- ands and millions of country children w.c did most of their riding in carts or wagons having nothing resembling springs and who grew up to manhood and womanhood without deformsd or injured backs. All who have lived in the country. especially in the earlier days. need no other or stronger de- monstratioin of this fact than is sup piled by their own observation.
 Bat sside from these obvious points how does the Board propose to go about enforcing or carrying out their self-made determination? Do they purpose to buy up all the springless vehicles or furnish new ones in place of them? Or do tlisv propose to con- fiscate all the old style go-carts and allow the owners nothing for them? Probably they may find 1t dificult to procure public money to pay for the condemned vehicle. and then they may also find 1t dificult to produce author ity of law which will justify them in taking the private property of citizens without remuneration. Perhaps they can justify their action on the plea that the springless wagons are a pub lie evil and detrimental to the we'll being of the people. and perhaps they can't. The whole proceeding looks very much like unjustihabie and i'm pudent interference with individual lib- erty.