Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-02-23

ion, the most effective mnzzle known.
while seldom blocking the passage of
such laws, never insists on all of them
being enforced.
Public officials when confronted
with complaints against the breaking
of these statutes must either cOnniye
at the violations or enforce the blue
laws to the limit, only to be reward
ed by an untimely political DEATH
OF course, every fair-minded citizen
knows that if any blame attaches, it
should be directed against the law
makers Every state. every cOmmnn-
ity has it's small group of men and
women obsessed with one idea. They
demand legislation to enforce their
code of moral conduct upon others.
Behind them are organizations whose
membership in most instances is not
disclosed, or, in any event, greatly
0verestimated. The paid agents OF
! these societies are able to force laws
through and impose the will of a. mi
nority upon the majority.
Usually the statutes thus enacted
are not enforced. If they are enforc-
ed it is only systematically and usual
ly for political effect or blackmail.
Hence the growing contempt of the
law.
Surely the system of social tyranny
growing up in this nation is not fill
| ing the churches. 1t is having the
opposite result. Commissions made
up of religious experts are constantly
| trying to determine why the church
has not the same hold upon men and
women that it had decade or two
.sls<
ago.
Probably one of the reasons is that
too many bigots are attempting to
use the church to foster stheir theO-
cratic tyranny, ajrelte dOfalNew Eng
land pufitanism::h "d" ,noint' Eli
Virtue sometimes' y is an an arrogant
thing It often casts the erring one
into the street, TO sink lower into the
gutter. 1t strains at gnats and swal.
lows elephants as though they were
oysters.
"a nf
upon the many does not bring us one
step nearer the millennium. 1t is acid
on the sore. There is irritation, but
no moral cure is effected.
Too often, as someone has we'll
said. I'VE make virtue a bully instead
of guardian and helper
North Dakota is for the strict en-
forcement of the liquor laws. Public
opinion is back of the prohibitory
statutes with strong arm. These
laws do not impinge personal liberty
or abridge it. The man who wishes
to indulge his appetites can, but un-
der our law, he cannot menace or cor
rupt the community in doing so.
These laws do not come in the cate
CORY referred to. The only danger,
however, lies in delegating the en-
forcement of the prohibition laws to
self-appointed Catos. Agents of a
certain organization 60 up and down
the state proposing all kinds of abb
surdities. Fortunately the press of
the state is not grinding their axes
as of yore.
Each man has his code of morals,
but it is impossible by law or in any
other way to force it upon his broth
er. Those who transgress certain
canons are punished, but as for pre-.
scribing a code of conduct by legisla.
ton, that never can be done effective
ly.
You cannot drive people to church
by blocking the avenues of amuse
ment Experience has proved this
A church succeeds through intrinsic
merit and the force of it's appeal. il
may fail because of a narrow vision,
1bigotry or lack of leadership. Not
all churches favor cracking the whip
through the passage of such laws.
Sentiment is not unanimous within
their walls, because the members are
human beings
The church is a powerful force for
good in any community, but it can
weaken itself easily by allowing the
moralstic reformers to use it for
their selfish ends.
Public opinion in North Dakota is
an efficient regulator of public NOR
ais. Properly directed by pulpit and
press, this force can accomplish more
than blue laws or pseudo-reformers.
Tho Sfntcmon anupfu inn.