The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-27
RESIGNATION OF
MAR PLEASES
LOCAL AUTO|STS
Justice of the Peace Was Gem
orally DisIiked by Jersey
Motorists.

The retirement OF Justice OF the
Peace Manfred Naar, of Trenton, whose
resignation was accepted by Governor
Fort last Wednesday,, removes from the
automobile field one of the most talked
of peace officers who has ever figured
in the strenuous game of collecting
fines from unsuspecting motorists dur
ing the past summer.
He was the inventor of the now cele-
brated mail order method of conduct
ing the business of his court in auto
mobile cases which raised a storm Of
protest from motorists all over the
State and was a source of irritation to
man motor-car drivers from adjoining
States.
While the system lasted Mar COL
lected hundreds of dollars from auto
mobilists through his Invitations to
pay up, but the game was early ex-
posed by the New Jersey Automobile
and Motor Club and other motoring or
ganizations and under the threat OF
impeachment by the Senate the justice
finally offered his resignation. 1t is
doubtful if this particular method of
procedure will ever be tried again by
anyone having authority to enforce the
automobile regulations.
j. B. r. Smith, commissioner of motor
vehicles, when asked for IN expression
of his opinion concerning the Naar
case, said that he considered the mat
ter definitely closed, but gave 1t as his
opinion that a wholesome lesson might
be taught by the affair. Mr.. Smith
said:
Il cannot talk of the Mar case, nor
do I believe any public good can come
from its further discussion. Mr.. Mar
is another victim of a mistaken o
ception of a magistrates duty, and is
now paying quite dearly for his error.
1t does not become any of us to i'm
pugn individual motives. There may
be, however, in this unfortunate affair
O. lesson for all of us, especially those
who are charged with an official duty
i'm enforcing police regulations.
I'VE must not forget that our whole
seluty is to preserve the peace. The
enforcement of penalties is only a
means to the accomplishment of that
end, and one that Is not to be resorted
to until other legitimate means have
faiIe1. Neither a personal profit nor
personal loss for q. moment rightfully
be considered. I regret that far too
many of us fail to nicely d~ifferentiate
1n these matters.
There Is frequently a disposition on
tho part of peace officers to hasten to
the imposition of penalties for alleged
lapses, rather than to make earnest
efforts to prevent such Iapses. The
spirit of retaliation too often fills the
place which should be occupied with
efforts to prevent the commission of
offenses.' Such a spirit makes easy the
succeeding step; a desire for personal
gain develops. n oppression, and, in
its turn, %extortion, take the place of
official duty.
Peace officers and magistrates have
violations of the law brought to their
attention, search the law books for the
particular penalty, and vigorously ao-
plySit without ascertaining whether the
peace had actually been more than
technically broken or whether any per-
son had or could possibly suffer injury
because of the act. And If any pecu-
mary advantage comes to them be-
cause of a conviction there is an addi-
tional incentive to lily considered
action. The spirit of justice is subor-
dinated to one of punishment and one
of personal gain, and the authority
vested in the magistrate becomes OPP
pi otii1 tihii
In the intercourse between this
department and peace officers and mag
istrates, it has been our constant aim
to impress upon them the great de-
STABILITY of regarding the preservation
of the peace the paramount object. that
the imposition of penalties should be
carefully considered, and that personal
gain must always be secondary to the
public welfare.
1T should be constantly borne in
mind that the motor vehicle has in
jected a new and very difficult problem
upon society, and peace officers must
learn by experience how to deal with
1T. They must first learn of Just what
individual rights and liberties consist.
and then how they are most e~ffectually
projected. IF they do this in the best
way they know, they should not be
held to too strict an account for er-
rors in judgment, but they must not
depart from the maxims of Justice or
honesty. In enforcing motor vehicle
laws, as all other laws, it must be
done so that the rights, as well as the
liberties of all, without respect to class,
ma be protected. The laws are for
this purpose and for this purpose only.
They must not be made either a means
of oppression or of mere personal gain"