Persons engaged in the postal service may be sent to the penitentiary for stealing money from the mails, stealing a letter from the mails, for any act of dishonesty, or failure of prescribed duty. How could the great postal service of this country be maintained without such laws? How would the people have the blessing of a great service of this kind without the most carefully prepared laws made to protect the people? So I might go on giving numerous other illustrations of the laws enacted by the people through their representatives, for the benefit of the people themselves, for their comfort, their convenience, and their protection against wrongdoers, who might deprive them of their property, or of things still more sacred than property. I have only used these illustrations to impress upon you the great truth that there is hardly any relation in life in which the law does not have an important part. We should realize early in life that law is absolutely necessary to guide human conduct, to restrain wrongful conduct, to punish wrong doing, and thus to aid in protecting us in our right to life, liberty, and property. These laws are not the judges’ laws, nor the lawyers’ laws; they are the laws of the people, made for their benefit, worthy of our most earnest support, calling upon us for loyal obedience, demanding our respect, and inspiring our confidence. ELEMENTARY QUESTIONS. 1. What is a law? 2. By whom is a law enforced? 3. Name an activity in life that the law has nothing to do with. 4. Make a list of some of the laws that your father and mother make in your home. 5. Make a list of some of the rules of conduct found in school. 6. Go to a store in your town. Are there rules of conduct for the clerks? What are they? 7. Who makes the rules in a home? In a school? In business institutions? 8. Upon which side of the street must a person drive? Why? 9. Who fixes the rules of measurement and weight? 10. Suppose that you buy a ton of coal and find later on that you only received 1500 pounds. Could you do anything about it? Why should the coal dealer be punished? 11. What would it be like if we had no laws at all? ADVANCED QUESTIONS A. In imposing punishment upon a wrongdoer, what elements does the judge consider in fixing the amount of fine or the length of punishment? B. Why do we have our laws printed? What would be the dangers of having secret laws concerning the nature and existence of which the people could not obtain information? C. What is the distinction between a rule of conduct in the home and a law of the land? D. List a number of laws and penalties in addition to those cited by the judge. E. Why cannot one have liberty without law? F. Why are people punished when they break the law? G. Is it ever right to break the law? H. Write a paper on the following: Why Breaking the Postal Laws Deserves Severe Punishment Liberty Under the Law The Danger of Counterfeit Money Laws that Should Be Passed