The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1919-04-10
The Cattle Dipping Law

The people of this parish are
jus. now passing through the
same experience on the cattle dip
ping question which those of {
number of states Of the South ano
a number of other parishes in this
State have passed through. Ano
for the last month or so they have
been confronted by the same diff.
culties as those which have beer
met and successfully solved by
citizens elsewhere.
There is this difference, how
ever. between the situation here
and in other places. Up until the
present time there have been NO
acts of lawlessness committed by
those who oppose the enforcement
of the law. This is in line with
the reputation which our citizens
have always borne-and deserved
ly so-of being a law abiding
community, respecting and obey
ing all Of the laws.
The situation, however, has
passed. we think, its worst stage.
While there have been, as stated
above, no acts of lawlessness,
there has been some more or less
wild talk and some unreasonable
demands made upon the Police Ju-
ry toamend or qualify the law.
There seems to prevail in some
parts of the parish belief that
this matter is left largely with the
Police Jury, when, rs a matter OF
fact, it is a law of the State and
of the United States. The Police
Jury has no more power to legis-
late on the subject than it has to
leg.slate on the subject Of carry
ing concealed weapons, or of lar
cany, or robbery, or other State
laws,
The law of the State commands
the people to dip their cattle un-
der certain rules and regulations
and prescribes a penalty for those
who fail to obey the law.
Under these conditions the
threat of some thoughtless people
to refuse to dip their cattle; to,
in other words, defy the law is
worse than foolish.
If they attempted to carry it
out the consequences to themselves
and to the parish would be disas-
trous. 1t is not possible for the
parish of Natchitoches to scccde
from the State, and set up dif-
ferent law for its own gcvern.penI.
Disorder and defiance of the law
may prevail for while, but there
is nothing more certain in this
world than that such movements
will fail in the long run. The arm
of the law is strong and long, and
it will, in time, crush all of those
who oppose it. The law in ques-
ton is a wise one. Its vast bene-
fits have been clearly proven in
countless instances.
The talk about asking the legis-
lature to repeal it is on u par with
a request for the repeal of tho g BOD
roads laws. or any of the other
constructive measures which this
age of progress has brought.
But the wisdom of the law is
really beyond the point. The point
is that it's the law, and the people
are bound by it. We are impressed
with the conviction that the good
people of some sections of the par
ish have had good ground of COM
plant against some Of the officials
charged with the work of SUPER
vising the dipping of cattle. Some
of these persons may have been
incompetent. or even wilfully neg
iigent, but with the experience Of
the past season these faults will
hardly be repeated.
It might be we'll for the people
of each ward, and particularly in
those wards where it is charged
that the law was improperly en-
forced last season, to select from
among themselves q reliable and
responsible committee, say of
three. to he present at the several
watts on the days when cattle are
dipped. This course would have
a good effect in more ways than
one.
These citizens committees ought
not to perform their duties in
spirit OF hostility to the law. or to
the legal authorities, but with the
purpose to assist the inspectors to
nerfnrm THAR dutios md