Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-02-25
eTArE LAWS You VIoLATE.
Kansas Statutes That Are Not
Obeycd.

Capitals Second Thought column
that the next legislature elected In
Kansas should be pledged to only one
Issue that Of repeating the useless
laws that cumber the statute books
lThe Kansas statutes are waterlogged
with laws that are not enforced, have
never been enforced. and never Will
be enforced. Here are a few Of
them:
1t is unlawful to sell any article.
other than drugs. on Sunday. The
man who sells newspapers, cigars,
Ice cream, bread, or any other arti-
Gle except drugs, is law-breaker In
Kansas. There has never been a pro-
secution under this law.
To bet on an election is unlawful
in Kansas. To act as a stakeholder
| is an election bet is unlawful Yet
at every election, betting on the re-
suit is 40 common as to attract no
attention Practically everyone bets
ON the result.
To disturb the peace or quiet OF
any neighborhood is unlawful, and
subjects the offender to a ane OF
500, or imprisonment not exceeding
three months. Is there not In your
lneighborhoOd persons who disturb
your peace or quiet? We're you ever
/ free from such disturbance? Did you
ever hear Of prosecution under this
Flaw?
Any person who works on Sunday,
except househod work Of daily neces-
sity, is a law breaker. This law il
violated by practically every citizen
Of the state habitually.
II you play cards on Sunday you
are law breaker.
In Kansas, any game of chance is
a felony. If you walk into store,
and drop nickel into a slot ma
chine, you are guilty Of felony, and
SO is the man who owns the machine.
In thousands Of stores in Kansas are
slot machines, where men pay for
prizes, usually cigars.
To play cards for prizes IS peni-
Tertiary offense. The women who
play cards at afternoon parties, for
prizes, are liable to imprisonment In
the penitentiary. Yet the newspapers
are full Of accounts Of these parties,
and the names of the winners OF
prizes are given.
Il IL unlawful in Kansas to sell
tickets in any raf1e. The man who
raties a gun, or watch, or buggy Is
running the risk of the penitentiary.
The children who sell chances In
church raffles are violating the law.
Hunting on Sunday is unlawful,
vet thousands Of men hunt every
sunday. 1t is unlawful to hunt with
out a license, yet practically no hunt
ing licenses are issued. It Is I'M
lawful to hunt at any time on another
mans premises, without his consent.
This law Is violated by every man
who hunts at all.
To sell skim milk, or MIX that Is
sour, or watered milk, is unlawful:
seven-tenths Of the candy sold in
the state is sold in violation Of law.
To oyerwork or overdrive a horse
is unlawful, as is any sort of cruelty
to horses. This law is SO habituaily
violated that every day we hear COM
plants about It. But no one is ar
rested.
II is unlawful to neglect to pro-
vide shelter for cattle during bad
weather. Cattle are everywhere req
without shelter; every cattle feeder
in the state could be sentenced to
imprisonment one year under TINS
law.
It il unlawful to drive horse UNI
at for labor. Do you not see this
law violated on the roads and
streets dozens Of times a day?
when a hog dies Of disease, you
violate a law unless you bury or burn
lit within twenty-four hours. 1t is
also unlawful to throw the dead body
Of a hog into any stream.
1t is unlawful to spit upon the
floor Of any public building; II you
spit on the floor of the court house.
you are violating state law,
Any farmer who has a hedge more
than Ave feet high, violates state
law. Ninety-nine farmers out OF
every hundred violate this law.
II farmer neglects to cut the
weeds in the roads abutting on his
farm, he violates the law.N
II a man gives you a worthless
check. and you complain to the on
GERS, and hush the matter up on re-
eeivlng your money, you are guilty
OF penitentiary offense. The ofieer|
who assists you in obtaining your
money is also guilty Of a peniten-|