The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-24

plrlng to enlightenment; whilst man
 kind is drawn toward vice. they arr
 attracted by virtue, and. this granted
 they demand the assistance of force by means of which they are to sub stitute their own tendencies for those
 of the human race"
 It occurs to mo (but why a layman
 have anything occur to him in these days of purchasable e1ectorate?, that some statues are local in their needs local in their enforcement. and local in their observance and results. As for example, contrast in this respect. Blr- mingham, Mobile or Montgomery ,.1. the small country village in which the writer resides. The legislature may enact statutes that may attempt to reg ulate the customs, diversions; sports and appetites of people in cities. The people of the city could not repeal them. Each attempt to enforce such statutes would be greeted with ap- plause by those who passed them and with those surroundings and habits of life they do not seriously interfere. And right here without attempting to discuss extensively the democratic principle of local self government, may I add that our cities should be more autonomous-freer to act on matters of purely local concern. It has been contemplated by all democratic plat forms that this result would be ac- complished by referring local matters to the political unit. But it's dollars to doughnuts" that Birmingham, Mo- bile and Montgomery will be shorn of this right they erstwhile supposed they possessed and which they ignor- antly imagined their democracy granted. . al
 As sehoolboy. I was taught to have a good deal of respect for Mir. Elmer son. Did he not say: Republics abound in young civilians who believe that the laws make the city; that grave notifications of the policy and modes of living and employments of the pop ulation. that commerce. education and religion, may be voted in or out; and that any measure, though it were ab- surd, may be imposed on a people if only you can get sufficient voices to make it law. But the wise know that lho AOoiiSh lcSiSidtiOi IS TOpe Ol sand which perishes in the twisting; that the state must follow and not lead the character and progress of the cit izen; the strongest usurper Is quickly got rid of and they only who build on ideas build for eternity; and that the form of government which prevails Is the expression of what cultivation ex- ists in the population which permits it. The law is only memorandum. We are superstitious, and esteem the stat utes somewhat; so much life as it has in the character of living men is it's force.
 Again, an eminent writer has said that "the law in America is what the people will back up.'' This definition suggests a difference between laws and statutes. They are not always necessarily the same nor in anywise related. Oceans of sentiment-the human will--frequentiy divide them. What city in this coun- try enforces all the Sunday laws? If only few failed we would attribute 1t to the laxity of the officials; but, with hardly an exception to such violations we are driven to indisputable conclu- sions that the will of the people is the law.
 Aside from the question of right or wrong whether the drug stores in Ath- ems sell cigars and soda water on Sun day, Mobile plays Sunday baseball and Birmingham permits East Lake to oper. ate it's sports, it is admittedly clear that a statute cannot be fully enforced in community where the public sentiment