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Show PRESIDENT TAFT QUOTED. I ' I Strong Argument Against Sumptuary Laws. "Nothing is moro foolish, nothing more utterly at variance with sound .policy than to enact a law' which, by reason of conditions surrounding tho community, is Incapable of enforcement. enforce-ment. Such instances are sometimes presented by sumptuary laws, by which the, sale of Intoxicating liquors Is prohibited under penalties In localities local-ities where the public sentiment of the Immediate community does not and will not sustain tho enforcement of the law. In such cases the legislation legis-lation Is usually tho result of agitation agita-tion by the people In the country districts, who are determined to make their fellow citizens in tho city better bet-ter Tho enactment of tho law comes through tho country representatives who form a majority of the legislature, but the enforcement of the law is among the people who are generally opposed to Its enactment, and under such circumstances the law is a dead letter. In cases where the salo of liquor cannot be prohibited in fact, It Is far better to regulate than to attempt at-tempt to stamp it out. "By the enactment of a drastic law and the failure to enforco It, there is injected into tho public mind the Idoa that laws aro to be obsorved or violated vio-lated according to the will of those affected. I need not say how altogether alto-gether pernicious such loose theory is, The constant vlo--latlon or neglect of any law leads to u demoralized view of all laws.' Wm. Howard Taft in "Four Aspects of Civic Duty." |