Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-05-29
EEEI (IIkE5 Think :


2
partment of "Lctters to the Editor" is
rc.opcncd for the use of any or every
caGe" of The Washington Standard
for "A discussion Of timely topics, with
he understanding that all contribu-
lions be made as short as they can be
consistently.
The publication of a contribution
q this department does not mean that
il expresses the opinion of this news
Paper. The articles published here
will show what others think. Whn
Thu newspaper thinks will be stated
in the editorial cOlumIE.)
Modern Legislation and Personal
Liberty.
Yelm, Wash.
| Editor, Washington Standard:
Being free-born American citizen
| claim the right to express my homes
opinion on all subjects, subject OF
course to criticism. | am a libertar
ian right from the shoulder and be
lieve we are governed too much. Our
liberties are continually being voted
laway through the connivance of a few
fanatics who, like Baer of anthracite
lotoriety, think God in his wisdom
has delegated them to look after thu
interests of others"
| would have to invent a new vo
cabulary to express my contempt fo'
some of the legislation we have had
in the past few years. Take, for in
stance, the law preventing public
drinking cups. What sense is there
in such law? There is nothing to
prevent one from carrying private
cup if the "damphool" wants to, blu
why should l be prevented from
drinking from it if want to? serv-
cd through the Civil war and was Of
ten glad to drink out of a pond OF
horse track and am now rs years old
and living yet in the best of health.
Another "damphool' succeeded in
getting a bill through providing for
9-foot sheets on a bed. What in the
name of common sense does one want
9-foot sheets for? A blanket Is good
enough for me and I presume Pm
made of the same kind of mud as the
author of that bill. II man wants
to catch a mess of fish he has to 60
to an official turnkey and get a license.
1t looks to me like all the legisla
ture is for is to give some pal lob"
OF course we have to have game war
dens and fish wardens and bed inspec
tors and they all have to be paid and
the poor devils that create all the
wealth have to foot the bill. Can any
ore tell me what use we have for nine
supreme court judges? The United
States supreme court has only nine
Is the state of Washington SO ponder.
GUS that it requires more judges than
any other state in the Union? Why
should we pay $4,000 every year for
a court whose opinion is little better
than that of an ordinary citizen? II
is seldom their decision is unanimous.
consequently 1t is matter of opin.
ion. / hive case in mind where a
very important question was settled
by majority of one and he turned
the scale after a nights sleep and
perhaps a bride.
The fanatics are not yet satisfied
with their restrictions of personal lib
erty but are trying to bring about
statewide prohibition, notwithstand-
ing the proven fallacy of the law as
tried in many states. We boast of
our liberty and yet do everything in
our power to restrict it. What right
has any "nincompoop" to dictate to
me what shall eat or drink? It's
none Of his business. EveryJman has
an inherent right to do as he pleases
80 long as he does not infringe on the
rights of another or on society. Why
install horde of officials to enforce
laws that are not only not necessary
but absolutely detrimental to society?
Our taxes are already burdensome
and If the present pace is kept up it
will be impossible for the producers
of wealth to secure enough money to
pay the superfluous officials and have
enough left to keep body and soul
together.
To mind your own business and do
the square thing with your neighbors
is an extremely high order of patriot
ism. If all men would do this, flags,
governments, powers, Nominations
and thrones might all take an indefi-
mite vacation. If half the laws on our
statute books were abolished we'd
have better government. Let us have
more personal liberty and less re-