The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-30
HEART TO
HEART TALKS
BY OSCAR GODFREY KLINGER.
!. THE SUNDAY-cLosING CUES.
TON.
/. The Legal Point of View.

The legal point Of view is always
one Of great Importance in a repre-
sentative democracy such as the
United States. The laws in their to-
tality constitute the foundation of the
state, They ought, Therefore, to co
mand respect and reverence which
is second only to that which is laid
at the feet Of God. Respect for law
is the basic principle of patriotism.
This fact becomes evident as soon as
the real routine Of law is made clear.
A social unity is ruled at first by SEN
timent which seeks the greatest gooc
0 the gre9test
approved by experience grow
social custom, and social custom, in
order that it may secure universal
observance, srystillizes into statute
Jaw. True lave. therefore, are the
rules laid down by self-governing
people for the direction of their own
They serve to define So
cial order which is obligatory on evry
member Of the social unity. The first
duty of the citizen, therefore, is to
obey a law just because it is on the
statute book and regardless of wheth-
err it works to his personal advantage
or disadvantage. 1t is his privilege
always to work for its repeal by per-
suading his fellow citizens of its in
iguitous character, but so long as it
on the statute book his first
duty is to obey its behests. For, I'M
less profound reverence is shown for
law as law, a democracy is resting on
a foundation of quick-sand.
That Americans have no respect
for for law as such, and that no law
can be enforced unless supported by
a strong public sentiment, are tru-
isms long emphasized. When we
seek for the reason it will be found
in the way our laws are made. A true
law represents the collective will of
people, but too often law placed
among the statutes does not do so.
The biennial meetings. of any state leg
stature are not wanting in delicious
numor. A thousand or two of bills
are rushed through and laid on the
executive table without their import
being grasped by half-dozen legis-
ators! Only the governors veto Of
ZEN saves the state from disaster. But
/ large majority of these bills,
through the executive approval, find
heir way into the sanctuary of the
law and-are never heard of again
Such condition breeds prospect for
aw and accounts for the fact that no
aw is feared or enforced unless a
trong public opinion demands its en-
To remedy such condi-
ion it would probably be well for
'ach state legislature to meet, re-
cind the dead laws and not meet
gain for period Of ten or more
ears!
Our Sunday-closing law is a clean
roof of the truth of what has been
aid. 1t has been on the city statute
'ook since June 18, 1902. 1t reads
S follows: "That it is hereby for
idden for any business man, mer-
hant or grocery store-keeper to sell,
r keep open his place Of business for
he purpose of retailing on Sunday,
ny dry-goods, groceries, tobacco, CT
airs or other articles or merchandise,
kept druggists may sell upon the
pecial prescription of practicing
MUSICIAN or undertaken, or merchant
or burial purposes" This law has
cen on the statute book for sixteen
ears, several generations of mayors \
nd aldermen have come and gone
nd it has never been enforced!
Thy Because public sentiment has
OF demanded it's enforcement. When
he executive takes his oath of office,
is quietly understood that the OBJ
cation of his oath covers only the
opular laws.
No one can help seeing as soon as
, faces the facts that the stability of
democracy rests absolutely on a i
,ep and abiding respect for law as
Ich. Does not, then, a genuine pa
iotism demand that the executive
any body polite shall impartially +.
force every law on the statute
ok? Would it not be better for the
Of Greeneville if the Sun
.y-closing statute were enforced?