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Show MORE LAWS, MORE CONTEMPT. "The growing contempt for law is attributed in large measure to a mistaken mis-taken zeal for more and ever more law," said Governor Ritchie of Maryland Mary-land a short time ago. It is refreshing to hear this thought echoed by a high public official. Too few of them are sufficiently candid or courageous to do so. But almost all who have studied the crime problem prob-lem have come to the same conclusion. conclus-ion. We are a nation of law-breakers largely beause we are a nation of law-makers. We have abrogated human hu-man liberties and crime has been increasing in-creasing on a greater scale than in any other supposedly civilized country. coun-try. We have passed laws which have acted as boomerangs and have in actual ac-tual practice benefited the criminal class which they were supposed to suppress such as the various anti-revolver anti-revolver bills in effect in several states. We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that America is a lawless nation. In almost every great city authorities are all but powerless against the depredations dep-redations of a well organized, well financed underworld. Simpler and fewer laws, more justice and less litigation, liti-gation, surer punishment for offenders offend-ers in that direction lies victory for society in its war against the criminal crimin-al class. |