The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-10-15
ENFORCING LAW
AUTO LAW VIOLATIONS KEPT
THE COURT Up LATE-FEW
KNOW THE LAWS.

With about so students enrolled,
the Madison school of automobile OPP
Grafton and instruction in automobile
laws and ordinances did a large busi-
ness in Police Justice %Sponholz's and
City Justice Soper's courts Saturday
night. The ignorance displayed of
the laws, and of the facts were not
going is being dispelled at rates rang
ing all the way from SO TO $25 a
lesson. 1t is expected that thera will
be a sharp falling off of business
during the next few days, until there
will be very few auto operators who
are not fully informed as to how TO
run a motor vehicle.
During Saturday night and the
Saturday night of the week previous
the arrests for violations of the state
and city laws by automobile drivers
aggregated about so arrests or COM
plants. The subjects were of native
and foreign production, most of
whom have driven automobiles for a
long enough time to have become
thoroughly acquainted with what is
required. Nearly all pleaded igno-
of one particular or other.
Even without the notice of a state
law. of which all are supposed to be
acquainted. the authorities published
notices giving time for remedying m
lack of equipment necessary. But
for all that. the violators nearly all
pleaded ignorance in one or another
particular.
In assessing the fines Saturday
night, Justice Sponholz said: 1T is
not that we want the money, or that
we want to be arbitrary or unfair in
the fines. When a man is arrested
for violation of the state law and
pleads guilty. there is only one thing
to do-that is to fine him. If it
would be worth his while to stand
trial, proof might be introduced to
show eXtenuating circumstances. But
the smallness of the fine makes il
Improbable to contest the cases.
In the matter of grabbing outside
men. We can make no choice. They
are presumed TO know the law the
same as the drivers in our own city.
The demand for enforcement was
made by the citizens of the city. not
only for u own protection. but for
protection of pedestrians. Ii is no
fault of this city that other towns
and cities do not enforce the law of
the state, or that the drivers are not
acquainted with the laws. 1t places
the city, however. in much the same
position as that of a dry town in wet
territory-every ~infraction of the law
10 mot Nufth tho TsrCtsffca tsnn tha+ fIr
v%iolator did not know the law-and
every man swears that he will never
come near the town again.
THE city did not make the laws
for which you are before this court.
They are made by the men whom you
sent to the legislature. The same
body fixed the fines for violation of
them. Their enforcement comes from
a demand of the citizens, acted on
by the city authorities. The police
officers are only acting on the orders
given from higher up"
Sentiment on the street varied
from passive indifference TO indigna-
ton. Some expressed themselves as
being satisfied that all know the law
and should comply with its provi-
sions. Others thought it outrageous,
and would tend TO prejudice residents
of the county against the city.
War has been waged against in
Engagements of automobile laws all
summer. Early in the year the same
trouble was encountered with getting
operators to obtain license numbers.
1t was only after an active campaign
that this was accomplished. and its
accomplishment was attended with
the same cutlery against arbitrary au-
thority, and the same of ig-
norance and prejudice. With the
completion of the new paving, offer
ing unusual opportunity and tempta-
ton to rapid driving, the city com
missioners adopted traffic regula-
tions. No arrests have been made for
the violation OF these ordinances yet,
and undoubtedly when they are en-
forced ignorance of their provisions
will be woeful, and the lessons will
be expensive. While without stated
authority, many of the residents of
the newly paved streets are making
requests for a more stringent en-