Justice and Legal Technicalities
A dairyman in Indiana was believed to be selling dirty milk and thus violating the pure food law. Some officers purchased some of his milk for purposes of analysis in order to determine the facts. They found the milk to be filthy, and suit was brought against the offending dairyman. When the case came into court the attorneys for the defense claimed that the dairyman had not violated the law, for the reason that it must be shown that the milk was purchased for food, whereas in this case the milk had been purchased for purposes of analysis. On such an absurd technicality the judge acquitted the milkman and allowed him to go on selling his filthy product. Submitting to such decisions is rapidly destroying the sense of justice among the people. It is not the question of what is right, but, How may I win out, right or wrong?