New-York tribune., 1909-01-01

-.,-nose ~ this article is simply to submit
--9asration -H three four points upon sub
J" - ,.tdch all automohilists are. Of necessity,
Ft.s end with which We are all concerned.
..tss+ ~ which have had some years Of study
t.roa and a subject which is relevant
.-,a+e 10 other important subjects. as. for
@Io .o5 -nads / mean the subject Of legis-
oAaHAie, Mating the use cf the highways by auto
mobiles. , -. +h. ,;,r-,-o,.- se,.s
= -,o-o-ist both in his personal and in his
- - ,o,acitv The highways are arteries of the
busilo1 -, T-,;.sd states in which flow back and
oo1g % q, 80. of the nation. To preserve healthy
-,,' conditions the flow must be regulated
= ;. -,,rs- not be inpeded or INSTRUCTED OF
~ s+ri,ted Traffic upon the highways means
~ "a she more life the more trafnc
I've, anu - 80 rights Of the occupants Of the
- ob,o,es traversirg the highways to be OBJ
- and there are the rights of other users oI
:, tigfvrsrs 70 he taken into account NO 'liS'
e nsers of the highways has rights any S'ea.oi .o
v = .hosa Of any other class They are al equ3t
usA .s.lgw and should remain 50. ANY leGlsla-
% Ai,, seeks 70 give superior privileges 10 any
- ,sss Is t. that extent an Outrage upon
- o,bsr class. and does not accoTa WIZ '1I
s'I. ,. 60 institutions Similarly, any legislation
s1sb is enacted IN a pure spirit Ct hostih'E 10 anl
.-,le- ,rssz is an outrage. and injuries di'hV
e. rfo enact il and those against whom Il Is
enacted
REAsoNABLENESs THE TEST
The test of sound legislation is reasonaoeieSS'
laws which are passed through In'easo'li,s III, ~
.;l.r oT a spirit Of revenge or envy ho' "'"H -.
,-sre Injustice but defeat the very purpose
-, -. ~. DESIGNED 10 accomplish: because
- .be;r true spirit has been discovered 'lis'e
4. snc, rev11ision Of feeling and such d 'e0'''o
has the penI-l;.n swings to he other eH'.e'e. s
30 the LAWS are repealed. and either Il" s1"S'i'-e
avs AT all enacted in their place OF on. eIlp. s
t.-1ns There Is a middle ground oet"eeI' 'o'
-. ans freedom on the Other hand ana 700
.-sat hsrshresS and restriction on the o'il=I- ma
,dss Ground il the safe terTit"Ty
For the purpose OF the legislation "hch / 'd'
-. consideration the users of the highways
80. themselves into tao classes. on ne one
- ~. the suton7otifists and the other hand
.rs sU others who employ tie roads % s'Fe''S -''
.nv pu-pose In ones work On automohhe ies'9la-
,i,r and in dealing with cases hilEated IN ''e
r,,r.s respecting the use OF the au'omooie one
rruEt psrsistently and consistently try TO staha
S.+..aer those two classes with the scales evenly
t.ls,ced and with the design Of bringing II u
bsss that there shall be measured out To each IAN
ns.. and Justice and reasonahleneSs. 10 Juuse '"S
,,,his,. --operlv YOU must have no hobbles. no
b,,rs5s m Authorizations II a person mas Il
ho,hr or hatred or an hallucinaton II Is sure
:, Nc. N the wav of clear vision or far VISION
The motor car in itself is a benehcent thing IN
-snv directions But whether we agree or not
sss, tba automobile good factor in our clVliiza
ion there IS one point about which there can be
N a,s,Bte ard that is that the automobile is here
s,s that if is going 10 stay and that we must
reckon with fl We cannot rule II OF the ishNay
II we would. and would not If We couio- Inc
fhv which remains 20 be done IS 10 regulate II oy
law 50 that while its rights may be preserved
the rights Of all other users Of the highways may
be likewise preserved
Before I s7ibnft what seem 10 me 10 oe INC
remedies wish 70 present the evils Which are 10
be reredied Aad venture to say. IN passing
-Aa. no class in any community has ever been
crard NJ o
,nosed upon il greater burdens of restriction ana
taxation for the exercise Of a natural right thai
hss the so-called class Of automobilists- ms Is
ii some respect due 70 passion. preJuGlce anu
envy and in some respect TO a baseless spirit o.
revenge and hatred. and also in some respect cue
10 ignorance of the subject OF this kind OF leSlsa
.lsa ana Of the vehicle with which the legislation
ts concerned
CONFUSION OF MOTOR LAWS
One Of the most troublesome results Of our
American system of government comes from IHe
fact that 5ir nation Is made UP OF some iorIy-oud
sovereign states each and every one or which i
constantly enacting laws with regard 70 common
subject 80 that We have. as a consequence, more
than forty various and varying laws affecting
ctizsn OF the United States with respect 10 the
same subject according as he may happen to De al
The moment in part OF another OF MS couilHE-
This Is tue not only of great variety OF SUD
iects but also and particularly with regard -
automobile legislation There no two states IN
The rnica which have the same automobile law
regulating the use Of the highways by that We
hcle
The automobile Is now distinctly interstate
%ehcls. An automobile may. and frequently does
travel n three OF more states in the course OF
Single day. and IS. under present system OF
RVs. subject an entirely new set OF regulations
every tine i passes imaginary line. called the
eotoer Of 2 state The aUtomobilist cannot pos
sby fa:liarze himself with all these various and
IONS a-d
lhat ne must necessarily become law WDre;1ker anu
criminal. He cannot help il. 1t is impossible for
Mn &c be familiar with all the provisions Of the
e4tonohte laws Of the states through Whlch ne
passes, W1ch their interpretations by the courts
@ao with the notifications and amendments thereof
as they are made from time to time. That is be
9oAo human capacity.
ne nay be never so abiding citizen, never
= oes.rous OF obeying strictly the rules and regu-
-1ocns, and yet he will inevitably become a law
oeaker- made q calculation with reference to
ae automobile law % one Of our states. and found
ed' there were more than two hundred things
e oolng or omission of any one Of which would
mage the owner Of the automobile a criminal.
sone Of them were petty and insignificant things
sIaers Of them were Of substance and of i'm
p'11ehce But the point IS that such law is IN
asonable. and vicious because il Is unreasonable;
1o y is unreasonable because its violation III
enF respects might easily arise from accident or
-aoFertence, and because the public safety and
FVeeuon Of life and property certainly do not re-
S-.'s any such vexatfous legislation. l make this
ie'ence only by way of illustration but 1t illus
sa'es many Of the motor vehicle laws in
fe.ce
Aeala, the automobile laws of several of
s ees ere very complicated and not easily intel
e"e 10 tns ordinary automobile driver. They
% i back and forth from subdivision Of one
'Oh 10 another subdivision of another section,
oeeoIne SO intricate that but the
y, oouio begin 10 understand them Here again
s most innocent and Wen intentioned citizen may
Oihe criminal without his knowledge. There
t.'hhg Just or fair about such state of af
and 1t is obvious that II should he remeded.
@ highways the highways OF the nation and
!, VI any particular locality Every citizen owns