The Caldwell tribune., 1920-12-21
Peace-Time Pursuits.

on . common cause, enthusiasm "a
high We had single objective wit
opportunities for every person to E,
ercise surplus energy.
With the return of peace, howeve
reformers are abroad IN the Ian,
During the war. the reformer forge
to reform long enough to permit cor
oerted efforts on the one big objes
tive Of winning the war Just at pres
ent there are those who wish to u
fiiet upon the nation set of Law
designed to compel all residents G
this country to more strictly observ
Sssday. They propose to preven
the publication of Monday mornin,
newspapers because they are pfinfe,
Sandaya, they advocate hating traffi
long enough to compel everybody Z
say at home o. 80 to church on Sun
day These are bat incidental ther
are many other things that are sough
TO torce upon an unwilling nztioa tn
6iue S00o1y-
Aod Of attempt to clrcEmvenf sh
clear mfenf Of the coestirufsoa of th
Cnieed StzseA The Citizen says:
Iue. 4 Is no oS5ectsoe 10 4 hu
against EzrSe1 thai tie hr rl
be ssosate1- 4 Es 10 o55-rtsoa 10
= hS against thrff fAzt there rE
oe bandits and bE-xzxrx- Bz- the
ruse VA n0s zpp1F ID Esd.n
t . . great oS5ecfsG1 70 nzry a
zw that Z c1nnos be enforced
Legsafzoa Is use oniy whez 4
recognize the generzl sentrnents
Of the people The -izus azainst
murder are faHfy wei enforced In
this cornfry-outside of Chicago
The laws against theft are some
what more difficult of enforce
menf because the sentiment be-
hind them IS not as potent as the
sentiment behind the law against
homicide The laws against OPP
um and other narcotics are better
enforced than the laws against the
making and selling of intoxicating
liquors.
Think of the numberless officials
that have been added to federal
and state governments by the pas
sage Of the volstead act and state
prohibition laws. And yet the
Blues would create other grand
divisions of crime They would
make it illegal to play baseball or
football or. perhaps. golf or hand
ball; Illegal to run trains or dis
tribute newspapers. to smoke
cigars and cigarettes and pipes: to
drive . motor car for pay or to do
on Sunday any one of a hundred
things that are now legal
VI course, all of these laws
would be violated Men would pass
from town to town on Sunday in
spite Of the laws; and they would
have their Sunday newspapers
even if those papers had to be cub
lished and distributed as secretly
as the patriotic newspapes of the
Belgium people during the Ger
man invasioa.
Here would. be new classes of
illegalities, and new armies of law
enforcement officials would be
quartered on the people who would
be compelled TO pay them for spy
ing and making one long fit of
blues.
And even these vast armies of
spies could not enforce unpopular
laws. We would be putting a
premium on crime and taxing
ourselves to pay the premium.
We are not asking our readers to
suppose that we believe there is a
probability that all. or any great
number. of these measures will be
passed. But unless we are watch
ful few OF them will become law
presently; later others will be
forced upon us. Crime will in
crease because there will be more
laws TO break. And there will be
more violations of the new laws
than of the old. because the old
laws are supported by the opinion
OF the community and the expert
ence of mankind.
Government will become more
expensive and less effective. Of
ficers of the law will work hard
and earn their pay. but they will
accomplish little. Their efficiency
will be proportional to the amount
Of public sentiment in favor of the
law
1t is true that these arguments
were used against <he passage of
prohibition laws. but an argument
that is weak against a good law
is not necessarily weak against a
bad law. Admitting for the sake