Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-29
Why Disrespect for Lap
Is Gro1Uing Among People

before the grand jury and exceedingly
merciful as trial jurors.
There Is an inherent repugnance to
crimes Of the character just mentioned.
The majority of the people are opposed to
them. They are in favor of their sup
preston. Why, then, is there such laxity
In the enforcement of the avs forbidding
them?
One direct cause is with the officers
charged with the execution of the laws.
Too often they themselves lave no respect
for the law and too often they are cor
rupt.
Too Much Party Politics.
While nonenforcement Of the law may
be traced to lawless and corrupt officials,
an indirect cause, but most effective in
Its operations, is the present method and
conditions which influence their selection.
Too much politics, too little citizenship,
we are governed by political parties.
This division into parties is supposed to
rest on. great economic principles.
Now the ongres makes avs for the
nation. The state and common council
for the community. The laws affecting
the community, the penal laws. must be
executed by officers selected from the
community.
NO national question:. so far as the exc
cution of local laws Is concerned, Is in
volved. And yet in nearly 80 per cent of
our cities and towns national politics DOM
mates the selection Of our local officers.
1t is necessary, say the politicians, that
that be SO to maintain the solidarity Of
the party. So democrat, republican or pro-
gressive mayors council, marshals and
police are selected instead of citizen may
ors, councilmen, marshals and police.
What is the result7 Criminals and law
violators generally have no politics. They
want protection or rather license to do as
they please. The parties want power and
the result is official blindness and a con-
seQuent lax or nonenforcement Of law.
Abus of P%ardonina Power.
Another contributing cause. to unen-
forced law Is the abuse or ATTEMPTED
abuse OF the pardoning power. The Grim
mai is brought to trial. found guilty, SEN
tence pronounced and he enters the pris-
on. No question of guilt. The law has
been broken. Behold. good Citizens with
their ready pens, signing petitions for par
don. Jurors too. who admit 1t was their
duty to convict, but they can not stick to
their duty.
Because others equally guilty In their
opinion have not been brought to punish
ment, a perverted sense of what is Just
and Fight moves them to sign. How illogi-
cal. to say, the least, is their reasoning.
Better for a community to have more
criminals than fewer is the natural Sc
Quence of such argument,
The suspended sentence" Judge per-
forms his part in marring the majesty of
the law. He Is too easily moved by the
persuasive ~eloquence of counsel for the de-
tense, as he extols the beauty Of reform,
or ne is moved to compassion for unfortu-
nate bondsmen, who may be made desti-
tute, unless the confessed criminal be per-
mltted to make restitution for the consid-
Grafton of a suspended sentence" The
Judge on, the bench. no less than the man
on the street. mus learn that the crime
Is against society.
I have spoken of those who make laws.
OF those who are subject &c the laws, and
OF these charged with the enforcement Of
the laws. and the part each contributes
toward increasing or diminishing respect
for the law.
Lawyers Must Change Their Ways.
OF each of these classes the LAWYER is
a member, for as a legislator he helps to
make the laws; as citizen. he is charged
with obedience to the laws; as an officer
OF the court, he. assists in the administra-
ton OF the law.
Large are his opportunities for service,
and grave his responsibility of service, In
educating his fellow-citizens in that due
respect for the law. so vital to the preser-
walton OF government.
II our profession is to lead, as It should,
In this fight for a higher respect for tho
law. II must be inspired somewhat with
the fervor of the psalmist, whose delight
was In the law Of the Lord, and In His
law did no mediate day and night" Our
judges must have clearness OF vision to
know the law and the moral courage to
declare II. Lawyer must learn that the
Tee does not make the law. nor should 1t
be permitted to unbalance the scales OF
Justice.