New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-10-25

W. 826A - &@'F
gEsss ana thFss -fouFths Fl the ssss
LEGISLATURES adept q CONSTITUTIONS
amsRdmeRt, and a majority 81 sseh
house % congress passes : Ian 10 en-
foTce 4, the rules Of the game o.
popular government are tAst all isihs
under that goFsFnment mus obsy, u
is not patriotic, Il h net sportsman
like 20 eFade or disobey
Nov il Is 70 be espeeted that
these who are not Intelligent = sho
are not, thsFsfeFe, msst charged with
The responsibility af gefeFhmsnt-
should be Inclined 10 alsseey Laws
they don't like. such . class. " they
violate laws con ordinarily. Through
the force Of saund public eflAiah ami
The machinery sdaPisa 20 restrain
violations ef lss', e9restrained, Hus
when the disposition 90 disregard law.
though statutory ana constitutional,
spreads 70 the intelligent and the we'll
te-do, because ihsk ma that u IN,
fringes on their ta5es and their likes,
then there Is a situation which IL
much more serious 49,.
1.-THE people ! have In mind are
the hrst 20 complain Of mob law. law.
less violence Of iaborites. and other
disturbances OF the peace: but when
Il comes 10 violation Of the 18th
amendment, and tile yoisiead Law,
they seem 20 feel no obligation 20 pro.
test. They would look az this law that
10 declared In the constitution and in
the statute book with contempt. One
hears Intelligent people say As this
contracts my liberty. don't regard IL
as necessary to observe e. Although
they don't intend 10. 10 they say that
they are jus,ifying the principle Of
anarchy. ] am preaching this on the
eastern seabeard because this il where
II 10 most useful -,
~ have confidence. however. that
when the intelligent. the patriotieSshe
well-to-do. as well ss the plain people,
race the real issue. when they see
whittier We are tending In making
nun or the law and OF its violations.
an OF which tends TO lend support 10
those who are engaged In violating n
when they realize that others not 40
pa,riotc and who are evilly minded
are only too glad to bring about A
generalization OF all law. as the oman
violations OF the liquor law necesmr-
NY tend TO do. then ! believe we shall
rouse ourselves and create a pubIic
opinion through self discipline
And the lamented President u.-s
ing IN Denver on June 2sth. made the
most notable OF his western addresse,
standing firmly by the 18th amend.
ment and the Volstead Act. read
you few lines from that address,.
it Is the partial indulgence which
challenges the majesty Of the law. hut
the greater crisis is the impairment
OF the moral fibre of the republic. The
resentful millions have the examp,e
OF law defiance oy those who can AZ
ford to buy, and are reckless enough
to take the risk, and there ia incvI-
Gated contempt for law which may
some day find expression In far more
serious form.
L do not see how any citizen who
cherishes the protection of the law
IN organized society may feel himself
secure when he himself is the example
OF contempt for law. Clearly there ia
cause for awakened realization NJ
true self-interest on the part of the
rev who will themselves suffer most
when reverence for law is forgotten
and passion Is expressed in destruc-
tive lawlessness. Ours must be a law
opedience must spring from the in
huential and the leaders among men,
as well as obedience from the hum
bier citizen, else the temple will COL
lapse.
Whatever satisfaction there may
be In indulgence, whatever objection |
there is to the so-called invasion of |
personal liberty, neither counts when |
the supremacy of the law and the |
stability of our institutions are men
aced. With all good intention the !
majority sentiment Of the United
States has sought by law to remove !
strong drink as curse upon the Am
erican citizen. but ours is a larger |
problem now to remove lawless drink |,
ing as menace to the republic ITSELF
Danger Is Seen
Everywhere throughout the coun- /
try there is an, awakening to this |
danger President Harding said the
18th amendment was here to stay and /
to stay unmodified. / agree with his
Tho question is, wheth-
err we shall stand with the west and
the south and the moral forces of
the country, or so with New York.
Much solicitation is expressed con-
corning President Cooidge's stand
upon this question. Let us so to his
record for the answer. ] read you
from his veto when governor of
of the 2.75 per cent
beer bill
"'When ! took office ! gave an
cath to support the constitution of the
United States. That constitution and
The laws of congress are declared TO
be the supreme law of the land.
THE authority of the law is ques-
Toned in these days all too much.