The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1855-11-19

MKSsR2. EDITORS 81 desire to call the pub.
lie attention to the necessity of some efficient
means being taken for the enforcement of the
present Prohibitory Liquor Law. That the
Law is continually violated is as plain as that
the sun shines at MONDAY. Scarcely day
passes that intoxicated persons are not seen
staggering through our streets. The writer
of this saw four different ones, within three
hours, of one day last week. Two of them
travelled unmolested, taking up considera-
Bile portion of the sidewalk on Main street,
from the Wharf to Fourth street; another
paraded the streets for three or four hours.
cursing, swearing and threatening, and no one
offered to arrest him. Again last week an
ether person was around here four or five
days, and drunk every day-whooping, hal
looing, and driving through the streets and
on the sidewalk, in such manner as to en-
danger our citizens. He, too, was permitted
to go on CHS way rejoicing"
There are in this city, one Mayor, four JUS
tees OF the Peace, one Sheriff, one prosecu-
ting Attorney, two Constables, one City Mar
shall, and two Deputy Marshals, all of whom
are sworn to support the laws Of the State :;
and yet the sum total of all the prosecutions
Tor violation of the Liquor Law, within
tins city, is about this That three persons
nave been prosecuted for being found in a
state Of intoxication, and were ad;ud0ed
guilty, none of whom were committed to
jail. Three persons have been prosecuted
Tor selling liquor and discharged. One pros
ecution under a search warrant has failed
anothea one has been sustained before the
Mayor, and also before the District Court
Three indictments have been found AGAINST
the owner, and three against the clerk of the
holiday House, which are laid over until the
next tern of the District Court. Five nersons
nave been convicted for the selling of LIQUOR.
ana fines assessed to the amount of one
hundred and seventy dollars
II IS well known that this community has
been greatly excited by number of bold
robberies which have been committed in onr
city. Some of our best citizens held consul
tations to devise means for the detecto,
OF the perpetrators, and to prevent like oe.
currences for the future. And vet we look
calmly on, and see members of our eommn.
~ weekly robbed Of greater amount than
the sum total of all the robberies and tbafts
That have been committed within the CITY for
the last year. Is it any wonder, under these
circumstances, that many Of the friends of
the Prohibitory Liquor Law are BEGINNING to
think that it is a Humbug
They would SO consider the laws aoo;not
theft, robbery, and murder, if the officers Of
the law and the community were to stand
calmly oy, see theft, robbery and murder
committed, and take no effectual means for
the punishment of the offenders. o.po
1--we publish the above for the purpose of
caiiing attention to the subject, and especial-
~ TO remind the friends of the proh;bitorv
Liquor Law OF this important fact. that the
I'D" cannot execute itself. Neither can il he
expected that it will be rigidly enforced by
Inc ofhoers alone. They have many other
auies to perform, and if they attend 10 the
more open and fragrant cases of liouorsellino
and liquor drinking they will do tolerahIv
wen. The way to make the law efficient
ana to save it from being dead letter and a
humong, Is fairly illustrated By the case nut
hy our correspondent When the ,eo,ys
came to the aid of the officers in exao,t;nc
the laws against theft and burglary, those
laws were found to have vitality. The peo-
PIE infused them with life. So it must he
with the iiquor law. Otherwise il will be n
iailure, our towns and cities will soon ba
cursed again with innumerable brawling bells
ABOVE ground, and our land be covered with
"hlsSey hood Of blue ruin, crime and pow
erty.l
Us Richard II. Dana, Jr., is one Of tba