Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-12

weapon with which he can be de-
stroyed and that In enlightened pa
triotic public opinion. That public
opinion must be created and you. each |
one. no matter what your vocation In
life may be, have a responsibility In
helping to create It.
There can be no stability to our
government. no security for our peo-
pie unless we shall be obcdient TO and
have respect for the laws Of tho land
This In the corner stone upon which
all civilization is founded. Without
respect for law there can be no safety
for life or property. no liberty for
any man who Is not stronger than
his fellows. no rule OF right but only
OF might.
We may look down tho corridors OF
time to the earliest beginnings OF
civilization and we will sec that the
nrst emergence from savagery was
| through tho institution of rules OF
conduct. or law. first to govern tho
| family, next to govern the tribe OF
clan. from there going on and upward
until national life IL developed.
Despotisms have come and sone-re-
publics have fiourished and fallen into
decay--but no civilization anywhere
has ever succeeded without organized
governments enacting laws for the
people. and no republic has ever fall
len where the citizen fulfilled his OBJ
legations and respected Its laws.
Respect For the Law.
If this great republic OF ours, In
which civilization has found its high
est expression shall some day fall
n,,1, Ia, htot.
like the ancient republics OF Greece
and Rome, it will be because Of dis
respect for law, Indifference to the
fundamental rights OF liberty and
through such indifference failure to
enact and enforce laws, without which
there can be neither liberty nor Sc
curity for our people. Today our
greatest national problem Is not
foreign entanglements. not the tariff,
not transportation, or other problems
which We deem important, but II Is
dlsrespect for law--unwillingness to
abide by the laws of the land. Every
, where there seems to be lessened re-
, spect for law and this constitutes the
greatest menace that confronts the
+, nation today. Some men try TO Justify
this disrespect for law upon the plea
, that the laws are unjust, But to per-
!, NIT every man to decide for himself
whether n law Is just or not. and not
, be bound by IL If he believes it un-
. Just, spells anarchy and ruin. There
. must be implanted I'm the hearts of the
men and women OF America the deter
mination that the laws must be obeyed
$ and the man who excuses or makes
. light of violation of law IL himself
{ guilty. The deliberate violator OF law
q is an enemy of the republic and /;
2 not worthy OF citizenship in II.
n thoroughly believe in the declaration
= that the best way to get rid Of a ba,
= law is to enforce it. 1t is the righ
r of every citizen to advocate the repea
e of any law. but he has no right I,
L disobey It while it Is in force. II
V this country the people make the law
4: through their representatives and the,
t can repeal them in the same way the,
v are made. But unless obeyed Will
+ in force. there is not an institution II
h America that can long endure. With
s out general scquiescence In obedienc
II to law there can be no protection T.
II life or property. Your life would no
e be safe today but for law and the OF
" ficers and machinery to enforce Il
d Your savings OF life time would b
Il swept away az the demand OF the ma
VI with n gun. and the man with a gu
h would be on every corner, II there b
& general disrespect for law. We ar
% proud Of the glorious past Of our coun
II try, and we wish for IL an even NOR
glorious future; a future where, as /
n the past, rewards OF industry may h
II protected and secure, where men sha
1t have the oportunity and the incentiv
" to make the best OF their lives wit
Of the knowledge that they have r. go,
Id ernment supported by the people pre-
II tectins them in their every right TIL
m can only be secured through respe,
v for our government, and obedience t
re its laws.
H. l have already said that the futul
Il of this country depends upon you, al
p the young men and women of yol
40 age, and your responsibility TO o,
ye country begins now. AS good citizer
m you should each one study publ
I problems and do your part In solyir
T. them. One of the dangers that col