Life.—­Our lives are protected very carefully, not only against crime, but also against accident.  Taking human life is made the worst crime and suffers the severest punishment.  Death-dealing weapons, such as revolvers and dirks, cannot lawfully be carried concealed.  Poisons are cautiously sold, and usually a record is made of the sale.  If death results from accident the person to blame is held responsible.  But every precaution is taken to prevent accidents.  Lamps are provided for streets; fast driving is prohibited; horses are not allowed to be left standing unhitched; business dangerous to life, such as powder-making, must be carried on at a distance from residences; railroads are required to stop trains at crossings, to ring a bell in going through a town, to carry axes and buckets to be used in case of fire; steamboats must be inspected, and must be supplied with life-boats, life-preservers, and other appliances.

Health.—­To protect our health precautions are taken against the outbreak of preventable diseases, such as diphtheria, typhoid fever, etc., by requiring cleanliness in yards and alleys; and against small pox by requiring vaccination.  The government also supports hospitals for the care of the sick.

Reputation.—­To secure to each person as good a reputation as his character will warrant it is made a crime to make false and malicious statements about any one.  If spoken, the malicious statement is called slander; if written or printed, it is called libel.  The essential elements of these crimes are malice and injury.  If a false statement is made without intent to injure, it is not slander.  And a true statement injuring another must not be made except for a proper purpose.

Liberty.—­This includes all those rights guaranteed in the Bills of Rights of the several constitutions, and the right to come and go without restraint, the right to choose a vocation and to change it, and other rights.  To appreciate the protection received in this direction, the student should read up the history of each of the guarantees, and of caste, curfew, passports, etc.

Property.—­“The right of private property covers the acquiring, using, and disposing of anything that a person may call his own, including time and labor.”  A person’s property rights may be interfered with in so many ways that many laws are necessary to protect him.  A brief outline of commercial law is given elsewhere.

HOW ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED.

Electors.—­The voters of each state are designated by the constitution thereof.  See page 298.

Time.—­The time of elections is usually also a matter of constitutional provision.  The local (town, village, and city) elections are, in most if not all of the states, held in the spring; probably because the public improvements contemplated are to be made chiefly in the summer.  The general elections are held in the fall.  This may be partly at least, in order that the official year may begin with the calendar year.