The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-04-02
Law enforcement.

oil VI OuT muulClPdi, 0Ineo oAiu Ia
tional statute books we have too
many laws; not too many good laws.
but too many bad and Indifferent
laws. As the Postum man says,
There's a reason" 1t is one OF
the fruits of political bossism and
machine politics. Every popgun
legislator manufactured by said ma
chine, alias "The dear old party"
feels it his bounden duty, as soon as
he breaks into some legislative hall,
to fire off few vollies of statutes,
as a sort of inaugural fire-works,to
please and entertain the dear peo-
pie" back at home, and make them
feel that they have mighty man
of valor to represent them in their
legislative hall. Consequently, our
statute books are loaded down with
laws that were never intended to
be obeyed. All this has had q bad
moral-civic influence on our peo-'
pie. 1t has trained many of our
best citizens in law breaking; for
the man who habitually breaks bad
and Indifferent laws will, sooner or
later, become the violator of a
good law.
1t does not take the Court to
prove a man guilty. He who vio-
lates a law, whether 1t be good bad,
or Indifferent, is criminally guilty
before the citizenship of the COM
nunity. The man who converts our
public highways into a race track
and violates our Sunday laws by
running his horse against other
horses, whether under wager or
rot, is as criminally guilty before
the citizenship of the community as
Is the negro lad who steals three
eggs and is thrust into Jail for 1t.
The man who buys whiskey from
the boot-legger is just as criminaAy
guilty before the citizenship Of the
community as is the boot-legger who
sells it. The seller could not VIC
late the law If it were not Tor the
buyer. The law ought to punish
both alike.
One thing that the average law
loving and law-abiding citizen ean-
not understand is why many of our
public officials, both in our towns
and counties, have to be goaded by
public protest and public deMhnd
into enforcing the laws which lhey
were elected to enforce, and rave
sworn, in taking oath of offic to
enforce. Every law, whether be
good, bad or indifferent. Dug to
be strictly enforced for the "a Ia
tional and moral influence Ieh
law enforcement has upon the 10
pie, particularly on our young eo-
pie. Those who are elected me-
sworn to enforce the laws are
ones to do it, without waitinG &or
further instruction or demand Qx
the people. If a law is bad Q1 ms
different, enforce it until 1t
pealed; don't violate it, or s9s|
nit it to be violated, and allq
to stand on the statute bool
our Sunday laws, which make
racing ON the public highM
misdemeanor, are bad law
force them until they can be re
ed. Do not stop racing near
bridge, and allow it somewhere 49,
in the county. j
Suffrage Is a Divine right the
voice of God in man; the powex of
Heaven intrusted to him. The man
who misuses it forfeits his right 10
it. To elect men to public office
simply because they bear the stamp
of the party caucus, regardless 4of
their qualifications for such offices,
is to misuse one of Heavens BEST
gifts to men. The first uualifica lion
for any public office is good MORAL
backbone not a cotton string, spun
b. the machine, in the hands OF the
political boss, for a spinal column,
but a real Woodrow Wilson back
bone. Such man elected to office
will enforce the laws which come
under his jurisdiction without walt
ing for further instruction or de-
mand from the people that they be
enforced. The time has fully come
for the people to select and elect
such men to public offices. A pub
lie office is not "pie;" 1t is
task. We give children pie to
please them; we give men tasks to
perform. One of the first tasks
N a public office is to enforce the
laws which come under the jurisdic-
ton of that office. The "pie" part
IS, or should be, the last considera-
ton.
I am not a lawyer or an offlce-
colder, so have not set these facts
down in legal or technical phrase
ology; I am only one of the people,
and have simply tried to tell how
they feel n the matter.
Garcon.