The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-25

law. The bars let down here, where
may they not be let down?
have letter which the manufac-
turers and dealers club OF Chicago sent
out TO the brewers OF the land, show
ing that the danger In prohibitory law
was not the decreased sale Of liquor
or the creation OF hypocrites. but the
placing OF the police power" above
"the constitution" And their pro-
test Is not against an unlawful ex-
ercise OF police power" but against
lawful exercise.
We arc facIng crisis today With
men everywhere tnking the law In their
own hands we confront the problem OF
anarchy The issue is likewise ethical
not legal, New York Philadelphia.
! Pitsburg. Chicago, San Francisco, arc
meeting different phases OF It. The
Standard OIL company defies the law
OF various states mostly because 1t
Knows that the bulk of the state cares
little about the supremacy of law If
, IL were sure that all citizens hated
lawlessness it would fear to advance
one step into the forbidden field But
/ why, tell me, should the Standard Oil
fear to defy the law mere in Ogden.
| We support from year to year a great
body OF law breakers and law haters
who own the police power body and
soul. These law breakers are not
bounded by an energetic police but
are zealously protected in the break.
Ing OF the law. Much of this de
fiance In Ogden is on the part of
vice-mongers who could not exist for
single moment without the beneficent
and gracious protection OF the majest-
ic defenders Of the state and municI-
pal laws.
| The genius OF anarchy is defiance Of
law. When officials. paid to keep men
| from this defiance. assist them In de-
! fiance we have something worse than
anarchy. 1t used to be called treason.
And IL this Isn't completely with Grim.
inals then 1t Is incompetency. Ogden
still wants to know.
We are not in the least concerned
with the products of these protected
evils. Perhaps innocent women and
children nave TO suffer- Perhaps
homes arc forever ruined! Perhaps
pain and heavy hearts are multiplied.
What do we care? That is maudlin
scntimentalism! But we do care when
democracy is threatened, Law break
ing, protected, condoned. winked at.
means the weakening of our social
fabric and the retarding of civlliza-
ton.
We were asking a somewhat inane
question during the last campaign. It
was couched In catching terms. Shall
the people rule?" 1t became the slo-
gan of party. It was banded about
so much that ii lost all semblance of
Its original contour. But simply ask
ing the question means that some
doubt exists In our minds as to wheth
er our form OF government Is really
democratic. Is the will of the people
the decisive factor In public prob
lens? Can the people do what they
wish to do?
On the face of it, this question we
are meeting here In Ogden Is very
trifling. A very small portion of the
population is given police sanction to
break law. These privileged law
breakers of ours may be decent law
breakers-perhaps the best class be-
tween Chicago and the coast. Why
not let them take their ease In Zion?
Here Is the point. After the Cal
ADRIAN earthquake the theatrical syn
dicate of Boston approached the may
or of that city and In the name of
suffering humanity craved permission
to give benefit performances the next
Sunday. All the money was to go
to Italy. 1t was to relieve suffering.
They knew their request was con-
trary to law. 1t did not occur to them
that the box-office might as we'll turn
over the Saturday receipts. The love
OF humanity was not, in the ultimate,
the master passion, They were taking
advantage of trying situation
The game was 10 work Suffering
humanity" as an entering wedge The
law broken once could be broken
again for 1t would be easier to justify
their law breaking the next time. The
mayor refused. He was branded heart
less, and some other things, but he
was there TO see the law enforced
He had no option.
That is Americas greatest and most
battling problem. None of us respect
the law. This local problem of ours
may be apparently Insignificant but
1t is phase of our national problem.
Civilization Is dependent upon law.
Obedience to law is essential to the |
life of civilized society. Then here |
the very life of civilized society IS
threatened.
Law is worse than useless, not when |
1t is defied by few vicious Grimm
ais who are bounded by a vigilant po-
lice force. but when It's defiance and |
violation are openly condoned by the !
law enforcing body.
A policeman uses his club upon an
unruly captive to teach him the un.
wisdom of resisting the Law Dut
where the police power is thrown
around law breaker TO protect him in
his criminal program. the purpose of
the law is more than defeated.
Crime is usually punished so that
others who are planning TO commit
like crime may be strengthened" TO
draw other plans. But the crimes we
are speaking of here are not punished
The object Is not at all to persuade
our choice citizens" to change their
plans, but rather to assure them that
In the future they Will be properly pro-
tected in their violation OF law These
laws do not in the least inspire the
respect Of the protected criminal
classes The punishment in no way
helps them TO future obedience of tho
law.
Richard III shouted, "Off with his
head! So much for Buckingham"
understood and the by
ISLANDERS too. The king meant bust
ness.
Gentlemen of the eglslature-Our
appeal can be simply stated You
can see from what ] have said, the
task we have on our hands
In getting our officers to faithfully
discharge" the plain duties OF their
offices It is an impoSaIhIo ,,-l.