, 1925-09-17
LAX RESPECT
FOR ALL LAW
IS DEPLORED

This week, beginning Sunday,
September 10, is being observed as
Constitution Week" throughout the
land, in celebration of the 13Sth an
niversary of the signing of the Con-
stitution, and the following state
ment on this subject is issued by
the Better Schools League:
ON this, the 13Sth anniversary
Of the framing and signing Of the
Constitution of the United States, we
are called ON to take note of the
document that gave this nation a
new birth and placed in the records
those ideals and aspirations which
have made us great.
THE Constitution crystallized into
basic law a government by the peo-
pie and established a republic with
a guarantee of equality before the
law. We deem 1t important, there
fore, to read in it's pages not only
the privileges but the obligations of
citizenship as we'll.
ITO many thinking people a period
has arisen that is putting our Con-
St1tutiOn through a severe test.
They contend that human forces are
at work undermining American ideals
They hold before us such agencies
of despair as law1essness, radical
ism, political favoritism, class hat
red, illegal t%raffiking, jury-fixing
loose application of pardoning power,
all of which have become a menace
to constitutional foundations.
I'VE have fallen on days where
there is a laxity in respect for law
and order, a defiance of the sanctity
of person and property. Since all
forms of human behavior are more
or less contagious it is important
that we consider the conditions and
the remedy.
In the penal institutions of the
United States there are today ZOO
900 persons convicted of crime. This
does not tell the whole story when
we consider those who go u%npunish-
ed or undetected. Recent figures
show the cost of this crime to be
about 81 per cent of the nations
income, a startling sum to expend
on a destructive force. Unfortunate
ly this does not represent the total
outlay. 1t is but necessary by way
of Illustration to note the cost of
burglary insurance and contrast the
rate with some other hazard such
as fire. On the other hand, educa-
ton, our greatest constructive force.
costs an amount approximating 1h
per CEN of our income. This COM
%parative cost is the more significant
when we consider that we have in
our grade and secondary schools
alone 1875 times as many American
youths as there are inmates in our
penal institutions.
"Thera 10 raa sOp to fool that Whap
this conflict clears the vision of the
Constitutions founders will be vim
dicated-that this will be proved
a fraternal nation. We have 'agen-
cies of hope hat lead US to this
conclusion. They are such institu-
tons as the social welfare and SER
vice organizations; the press and
radio; the church, the home, and
the schools.
Educators are already at the task
They sense the situation and for some
time in conference groups the sub
ject Of character development and
citizenship training has received their
attention. 1t is a program not of
talk but of action. Already many
have translated their thinking into
courses of study for definite instruc-
ton. Others are following.
Education is the greatest single
foe of crime. The mass of the vic
ious. destructive and criminal are
from less educated levels. The ex-
ceptions are so few as to be conspi-
cuous. Education is the inspiration
of reason and reason inspires respect
for order.
There can be no liberty without
law. II we are to become more of
a la~w-abiding nation we will first,
recognize the necessity OF having
our educational institutions %organiz-
ed as training camps for citizenship
and second, make provision that our
young people come under their In
OF no mean proportions and worthy
the aggressive support OF our better
%citizenry."