Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-25

say at once that while violations Of the
law have been increased by inclusion OF
crimes under the eighteenth amend
ment, and by the vast sums that are
poured into the hands of the criminal
classes by the patronage of illicit liquor
by otherwise responsible citizens, yet
this is but one segment of our problem.
I have purpoSely cited the extent of
murder. burglary. robbery. forgery and
enbezzlement. for but q small percent
age of these can be attributed to the
eighteenth amendment. In fact, of the
total number of convictions for felony
last year, less than 8 per cent came
from that source. 1t is therefore but
a sector of the invasion Of lawlessness.
What We are facing today is something
far larger and more fundamental-the
possibility that respect for law Is fading
from the sensibilities of our people
Whatever the value Of any law may be,
the enforcement of that law is not. in
my mind. a debatable question. Law
should be observed, and must be en-
forced. until it is repealed by the proper
processes OF our democracy. The duty
to enforce the laws rests upon eyery
public ofhcial, and the duty to obey it
rests upon every citizen. No individual
has the right to determine what law
be enforced"
But the social will"
X X + X
Not far from the National Crime
Commission and the President who
created that commission stood an
other gentlemen who expressed him
self quite forcibly on the same sub
Ject. 1t Is ex-PreSident, and now Chief
Justice. Taft. Perhaps he had read
Mr.. Chllds message about social will
to the National Crime Commission.
AT all events. Chief Justice Taft said:
Respect for authority can be lost by
lack OF discipline and can be strength
ened by Its exercise. Liberty abiding
for each person is impossible unless It
be ordered liberty. without law and
conformity to it. We shall have license
and not law, and anarchy, inequality
and tyranny. and not liberty.
In no respect do the lovers Of
America feel more concern than in the
outbursts of lawlesSness, not SO much
In personal crime. but in the manifes-
tation OF the mob spirit and indiffer-
ence to the enforcement Of law. Why
can we not surround our youth with
, the atmosphere OF respect and obedience
to authority? That Is self-government.
Without 1t. popular government Is q
failure. and our constitutional system
is hollow nnockery."
Chief Justice Taft seems TO depre-
cate differentiating between statutory
laws which are and those which are not
approved by Mr.. Child's standard Of
social will
Wonder If he has never studied the
Child version Of the Constitution. Here
it is:
We. the vets Of New York. In order
to form more perfect moonshine. es-
tablish injustice, insure domestic misery,
provide for the commoneM kind OF Of
lenses (such as 20 times the number
of murders and so times the robberies
per capita as are committed In Eng
land), promote the general increase Of
other crimes. and secure the curse of
anarchy to ourselves and our posterity
IF any. do ordain and establish social
will as the supreme law of the United
States of America. And be 1t known
of all men that Social WILL cest MOL"
X u X
Within less than one mile from our
Capitol and Supreme Court there Is
tolerated a book store devoted exclu-
sively to the sale of anarchistic, COM
muniStic and socialistic literature. Not
long ago its proprietor confided in q
customer tthe present writer. who was
investing in some OF its propaganda.
that he hoped The day would come
when all law would be abolished and
everybody might do just according to
his own ideas of right. This gentleman
has already served a term-perhaps
more than oue-in prison as a danger
Gus anarchist or traitor In time of war,
but he seems to retain the same notion
as that Of the ex-Ambassador to Italy,
the eminent litterateur. that the Amer
lean Constitution and statutory law
should give place to anarchistic social
will
mo man e'er felt the halter draw.
With good opinion of the law"
Lest there be any accusation Of lille
ultimately quoting either President
Hoover, or Chief Justice Taft, or even
Social Will Child, let it be recorded
that barring the parody on the pre-
amble Of the Constitution, all the words
quoted above are actual expressions by
the parties quoted, although pieced to-
gether here like jig-saw picture.
The Government at Washington still
lives" and. by the grace Of God and
President Hoover. it is going to enforce
the laws until they are repealed. The
President does not trihe when he notes
that at least so times as many rob-
berries, in proportion to population. are
committed in the United States as in
Great Britain and three times as many
Social will has lust as
much indicated applica ton to robbery
as to felony under the eighteenth
amendment-and not one whit more. in
either case. Our laws are our social
will"
(CopyrIRht, 1929 by Paul Y co,pn,t