OCR Text |
Show A FREE PEOPLE? Americans are a fee people. Free, that Is, if they carefully obey some twenty or twenty-five thousand laws and regulations, and are prompt to-heed to-heed the orders of the various bur cutis, commissions and boards that preside over their destinies. Probably ,n other nation has oume in for so much legislation as the United States. Quantity, rather hnn quality, seems to be he Ideal of our law-makers. Whether it Is a matter of owning a revolver for sport or protection, or attending a Sunday nlcnie. we are llffhle to come in conflict with the forces of law and order. Apparently we have leen working on the theory that human nature can lie changed by legislation. At present more than 3,000,000 persons nre affiliated with movements having hav-ing to do with minding other peole's business. The self-styled reformer and moralist have been supreme. I And the result has not been a more stable and peaceful society, but an amazing orgy of law breaking and cimlmiiity. More laws make more crime, seems to le a new American Ameri-can axiom. |