The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-03-18
THE VALUE OF THE
LAW OF NECESSITY
The Specific Provisions of
the Law of Necessity,
The Law Of Necessity as Applied to Pub
lie Safety, Health and Morals, and
the Emergencies That Necessitate Their
Drastic Enforcement.
Chautauqua Paper by Sherlock.

Chautauqua Paper by Sherlock.
What could be more appropriate
than we, gathered here under these
auspices should choose for discus
sion some of the chief topics of the
day. Topics, no doubt academic in
their being, however, and withall
topics that have set civilization to
thinking. With your kind permis-
sion and forbearance l will attempt
for our concerted enlightenment a
discussion of the teachings of Col.
Ritter upon The Law of Public
Necessity"
There is law now in full force
in every State in the Union, in
the government of the United
States, and in every govern
ment in the world, that was hoary
with the frost of centuries when
Moses barred his feet in the presen ce
of lhe burning bush, and that has
ever since been the fundamental
law in every civilized government
in the world.
If you were to ask me for the
book and page where this great law,
with its full scope and specific pro-
visions might be found, / should
not, neither would any lawyer, be
able to give them to you. 1 speak
of The Law of Public Necessity"
This is not only an important law,
but it is the supreme law of every
government and every land. This
law was defined and given it's posi-
tion in the Roman government be-
fore the beginning of the Christian
era in the following maxim: "Salus
Popull Supreme Lex" which is
tranlated today IL the English lang
uage by the expression, The Pub
lie Welfare is the Supreme Law"
While I am frank to concede that I
am unable to give you the scope
and specific provision Of this law,
Yet, on the other hand, am able
to rescue to your minds incidents
of the past using them as illustra-
tions to aid you in a fuller COM
prehension of this subject.
You will recall to mind the time
when the city of Chicago was on
fire the year, if recall the historic
date was 1871. The city had been
burning for nearly two full days,
and the city had become exhausted
in it's efforts to suppress the flames
and had acknowledged it's defeat,
and the State of Illinois stood par
allied in the presence of the de-
mon of destruction, the Fire King.
1t was at this juncture that General
Sheridan was placed in command,
and he became substantially the
only governing force at the time
being in that locality. General
Sheridan was the man to meet the
demands of an emergency. He
did not stop to ask lawyer of Chi
cago what he could or could not
lawfully do, nor the business men
what was expected of him. He
proceeded to do what the necessity
of the occasion required. He
placed powder in the Easements of
a row of buildings two blocks long,
and at given signal blew up and
utterly destroyed the buildings and
their contents. The owners were
not asked to consent. and their OBJ
jections were justly unheeded.
Their property was destroyed, AMI
there was no. provision of law by
which any compensation could be
recovered. This action, and ones
similar during our recent confia-
grafton in Frisco when Gen1 Funs-
ton took command, were all justi-
fed under the law of public neces-
sity.
A few years ago a railroad train,
loaded with passengers, leaving a