p. 7 | Respect for Law

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Feb 8, 1906

Respect for Law

It is not law and the machinery of civil government that constitute the real surety of peace and the protection of rights in human society, but respect for law. Respect for law is the spirit of civil government, without which the letter is dead and worthless. This is a force with which men who set themselves above their fellows have often failed to reckon. Destroy respect for law, and all the laws on all the statute-books of the land would not restrain anarchy for a single day.

Of late years much has been done by a class of men in this country to destroy popular respect for law, and examples illustrating the process are frequently to be noted. A recent and conspicuous example of this kind evoked some very pertinent comment from a New York journal, to which the following reference is made by Mr. Bryan’s paper, the Commoner:—

The New York American makes some very pertinent suggestions to Mr. Henry H. Rogers, who is just now showing a disposition to laugh at the courts. The American points out to Mr. Rogers that he owes a great deal to the courts, and is profiting, perhaps, more than any other man, by the respect the people have for our legal institutions. His example of contempt is not a good one, for if the people should suddenly take a notion to treat the courts and the law as Mr. Rogers is treating them, pray what would become of Mr. Rogers and his elaborate system for the exploitation of the people? Mr. Rogers is comparatively secure in his position now because the people have respect for the courts and for the law. But if they lose that respect and follow the example of Mr. Rogers, they might decide to seize all that Mr. Rogers has accumulated, and snap their fingers at the courts which now protect him. Mr. Rogers should think for a while on what might happen to him and his millions if he should finally succeed in destroying public respect for the law. Mr. Rogers is treading on dangerous ground.