178 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



ket — being replaced by this renovated butter. It is a wholesome 

 food — pure butter — and when marketed honestly it is a legiti- 

 mate article of commerce. But when sold under conditions 

 which restrain deception, Maine farmers' butter has a fairer 

 chance, both articles standing on their own merits. 



It is now too late to take up exhaustively the subject which 

 you assigned me on the program. I will say in brief that if you 

 had allowed me sufficient time to deliver the lecture which I had 

 prepared, I should have developed five points. The first is that 

 dairy laws should not ask too much. We are hedged about by 

 natural laws of business w^hich cannot be violated, and also by 

 certain requirements of state and national forms of government. 

 Hence there are some things which legislation can do and there 

 are other things which it cannot do. An intelligent request for 

 legislation must be based upon a knowledge of those facts ; 

 nothing should be asked unless it seems to be constitutional and 

 unless it is within the range of economic reason. Second, no 

 law will enforce itself. We often hear this remark in ordinary 

 conversation, ''Such a thing is wrong and there ought to be a 

 law against it." But the mere spreading of criminal law upon 

 the statute books will not wipe out vice. You must have some 

 one to enforce those laws. They will not take care of them- 

 selves. 



The third point I would impress upon you is this : evidence is 

 a fundamental necessity in enforcing law. When I was enforc- 

 ing dairy laws in Massachusetts once in a while some one would 

 say to me, "Why don't you shut up A or B?" I would say, 

 ''Where is the evidence?" "Oh, everybody knows they are vio- 

 lating the law," was the reply. You cannot convict anybody in 

 court on what "everybody knows." There must be specific in- 

 formation. Accurate evidence in cases in court is like the breath 

 of life to humanity. A fourth point to be considered in the 

 enforcement of dairy laws is the human element in judges and 

 jury. Many people have an idea the machinery of criminal 

 laws is like some great automatic buzz saw, relentlessly attacking 

 that which comes in its way. Some think it only necessary to 

 find out that some one has been violating the law, then press the 

 button and he will come out of court convicted and sentenced. 

 Courts do not work in that way. There is a human element in 

 judges and jury that must be taken into account. 



