Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-08
THE IOWA CRUSADE.


TIE IOWA CRUSADE
since the time % the famed blue
avs" of Connecticut u has been dif-
ncuit - find a. aggravated a case Of
pp.i-atlon of LEGAL provisions as
IN the recent campaign cf the attor-
ney- general % Iowa 10 force upon the
people obedience 70 an obsolete and
forgotten statute upon the states law
looks This provision made It mis-
temeanor 20 DO most anything upon
The FIRST day Of the week except 20
80 20 church or swing in C. hammock
d; such a law had been offered FOR
passage m this day and time u would
have been turned down with contempt
and indignation. but there j, vas in
mus;y tome and the Jealous officer
proposed 20 make a name for himself
~ insisting on It's enforcement Yet
IN one sense ot the word we are per
suaded that the attorney d:d the
right hing A law that cannot or
should not be enforced should in all
conscience be repealed II a law is
dlstasteful to the majority the bes;
way 10 get rid OF II is 10 enforce Il
until the people get angry and secure
Us repeal Yet philosophically IL is
worth noting that the legislature OF an
enlightened state could al any time In
It's history have produced such a sta
tutory monstrosi'y Tho It is not so
surpr.sing when We remember tina:
even today there are lots OF people
who favor such legislation and are
continually bombarding our legisla-
I tive bodies for laws OF more or less
blueness
Il Is an error TO think that legisla-
/ lures can secure public morality by
/ legal enactment The province Of law
is to prevent eyil-disposed people
from doing those things which would
/ harm others When IT goes beyond
D this and attempts TO regulate the re-
/ lIeious convictions or obseryances OF
| men it IS an instrument Of the devil.
In this land Of tho free It is supposed
& TO be every mans privilege TO seek
. happiness in whatever way he may
deem proper. a. long a. IN 50 doing
he does not prevent somebody else
achieving happiness with equal ease.
b Yet these people would put legislative
burdens upon the everyday conduct
n human beings under the mistaken
4 impression that they are helping 20
make the world better. That can't O.
oone. Il IS more likely 10 stir Up a
rebell!ous resentment that makes
things worse. The things required in
some Of these laws are such that all
men would DO well 10 ABIDE by. but
they are things which they are privi-
legged 70 obey voluntarily. not under
stress.
80 man is free 70 do that which he
j. compelled to do The merchant
thanks his customer when he pays
for the goods he has purchased. for
the vendor recognizes the fact that
the vendee WIS under no obligation
20 buy his wares but might have gone
elsewhere But what tax collector
thanks the property owner when he
pays his taxes The man who buys
at the store IL free to buy or not to
buy The man who pays his taxes is not
free 10 pay ~ not TO pay: he is COM
PEELED 10 pay As an example. the
man who believes Sunday is the
Lords day and who observes II from
choice is free: but the man who un-
der penalty Is required TO observe 1t
is not free. and the law that imposes
this observance upon him is a burden
and an iniquity Then the reasons
why some people object TO certain
things on Sunday are often absurd.
Take baseball. for instance. The game
is played upon enclosed grounds. No
body sees II except those who are
anxious enough TO pay for the priyi-
lege. Nobody is disturbed by It, ex-
cept in that mental uneasiness that
comes thru the constituencies that
what they deem right is not respected
by other people. Likewise the pic
3 ture shows. They take nobody away
from other things except those who
want to be taken away. Nobody's re-
! ligious convictions are interfcred with
The only offcnse is to those who think
that whatever they believe In should
. by force be made n law to control the
conduct OF others and those who
think so are not Christians by any
sort of test II is not Gods people
|, who want to curb the liberty OF
others. but those who wish to cover
! up their lack Of religion by zeal In
forcing people 10 their way OF
thinking