The Semi-weekly leader., 1920-11-17
LAWS AND CRIMINALS.

permits him to do and still be a
scoundrel. And yet we concede that
one who is otherwise decent and o.
beys the laws is a good citizen. There
are but two classes of citizens: Those
who obey the laws and those who
do not.
Thousands of lawbreakers think
themselves good citizens. When they
violate a law that would interfere
with their pleasure or profit, they
say: Il don't believe in that law.
1t is an invasion of our constitution
al rights" The excuse would serve
as we'll in the case of one who cracks
a safe.
Law is law. The anarchist frank
ly opposes all law. The professional
criminal frankly scorns all law. On
ly some of our respectable citizens
obey the laws that please their fan
cy, and evade the laws that were
framed without their permission.
. A criminal act is always preceded
by a criminal thought. One who
would commit crime may be deferred
by circumstance, but he is no less
a criminal. The willingness to vio-
late law is the root of crime.
Of late there has been much scold-
ing concerning aliens who do not
respect American institutions. State
and federal laws are the root and
branch, the warp and woof of A
merican institutions. These aliens,
whose poor minds cannot grasp the
significance of America, are a nui-
5ance, but do they show less respect
for law than is shown by many A
merican citizens?
Consider the matter of taxes. Tax
es are burdensome. Tax laws are
notoriously unscientific and crude.
Nevertheless, one who evades a tax
law is criminal. One who conceals
portion of his income is criminal.
One who places dishonest valuation
on his real and personal property is
criminal.
One who withholds what rightful-
ly belongs to his Government is a
thief. Why beat about the bush? If
one evades tax law and steals from
his government, wherein is he bet
ter citizen than one who violates the
law against stealing and purloins a
purse? Crime is violation of law.
Are there righteous crimes, permit
ted as special concession to certain
citizens?
There is a law forbidding traffic
in alcoholic drinks. 1t was made law
by the opinion of a majority of the
states, by the action Of a majority of
the peoples Representative and by
the opinion of majority of the Su-
preme Court. Yet it is very unpopu-
lar in some sections, and is violated
to some extent in all sections. 1t is
violated by professional criminals
for the sake of profit and by anna
teurs for the sake of drink. The
amateur feels superior to the profes-
sional. He thinks he belongs to a
higher stratum Of society. Yet he not
only violates a law but by his pa
tronage lends moral support to the
professional and persuades him con-
tinuation of his criminal practices.
We enjoy the feeling of righteous
ness. We like to feel that the town
we live in is a decent town. When
some reformer exposes rottenness we
feel under compulsion to back him
up and cleanse or whitewash the spot
he has uncovered, but in our hearts
we may resent bis activity. He has
shamed us.
He has made us feel unclean. We
had a vague consciousness that the
rotten spot existed, but were content
to let it alone rather than humiliate
ourselves by washing dirty munich
pal linen in public.
One cannot consistently condemn
the blind tiger while eXcusing it's pa
irons. One cannot consistently con-
demn the burglar while the prohteer
is unmolested. One cannot consist
emily condemn any of the lower forms
of crime while granting to any class
of citizens the right to evade laws
that do not please them.
However unpopular, inconvenient,
One cannot deliberately evade or vio-
late any statute without tarring him
self with the stick that blackens
thugs.
AS a result of the war, or perhaps
as a part of the hysteria that comes
of wealth quickly and easily acquir-
ed, there is now in American too
much contempt for authority
spirit Of lawlessness that pervades
every layer of society. This spirit
has encouraged every ugly thing in
the land to raise it's head and dare
Government to a test of strength.
AS Government extravaganza en-
courages private extravaganza, so
the cynical, perfumed lawlessness of
citizens who feel respectable encour-
ages crime among those who known
no other restraint than fear of pun
ishment.
One need not be a moralist to
perceive that the rats are gnawing
the floor of his house; and even a
fool may understand that flippant,
contemptuous, casual and universal
violation of law does not add to
the security of either life or proper
ty.-Saturday Evening Post.