The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-21
LAW OR LAWLESSEESS,
perance.

Law Or LAWLESSNESS.
Possibly the principal point at issue in the
pending city election is the supremacy of
law. This issue was distinctly made when
Mr.. Cottrell was nominated for the Office of
mayor This gentleman was nominated by
the saloon men as their candidate because
they knew him and could trust him to do
their wish. AS police commissioner, instead
of enforcing the law, as was his sworn duty,
he was immovable in opposition to any
interference with the will Of law
defying saloon men. He deliberately broke
his oath of Office and allowed the
saloons to violate the eleven-o'ciock and the
Sunday provisions of the liquor law. If it
had been in his power, no notice would have
been taken of such violations and the police
would have been instructed to take no notice
of them. Knowing this and that Mr.. Cot
trell was their friend and champion, the sa-
loon men decided to make him the Democratic
nominee for mayor and to this end combined
and defeated the better elements of that
party, and named their man. But for the
fact that Cottrell was known to favor
'1iberality" and lawlessness, so far as
the liquor traffic is concerned, he would never
have been thought of as a candidate, and
could never have secured the nomination.
His election can have but one significance.
Chosen by the saloon men as their champion,
it would be folly to expect him to do his duty
as mayor while the police power would be in
structed to put in force the policy of non-in-
tervention, of which he was the advocate while
member of the Board The saloons, so far as
he cared, would keep open all night; neither
would there be any objection to keeping open
on Sunday. The whole force Of the city's ad
ministration would be in the direction of free
whisky.
But this is not all, nor is it the worst effect
that would result from his election. The
people of this city cannot afford to encourage,
even passively, the idea that lawlessness is to
be enthroned, and that an official who violates
his duty in not enforcing the law is to be
publicly rewarded. The lawlessness that the
election of Mr.. Cottrell would countenance
would be an incentive to gamblers and bum
mers to set at naught such laws as interfered
with their business" 1t would be the OPEN
ing wedge to all kinds oflawlessness and bum
merism Not that all of it would be realized
during the term of Office for which the
mayor is to be elected, but the
tendency would be Enthusiastically
in that direction, and it would take hard work
and time to counteract the evil effect of such
a criminal blunder. If ever wholesome re-
form were needed it is needed here against
the possibility of electing man backed by
men who intend to evade, if not defy, the
law, and himself pledged to aid them so far as
he can. 1t is an open and dangerous assault
upon law and order, and cannot succeed with
out resulting in incalculable harm.
No man who believes in the impair
tial enforcement of the law, and
who believes that the security of life and
property, and the security and prosperity Of
all forms of business and industry depend
upon the observance and enforcement of law
and the repression of the spirit of lawless-
ness, can afford to be idle and apathetic at this
time. The lines on this issue will never be
drawn more distinctly. A victory for "Cot-
trellism" means the entry into an era Of Glib
eralism," the end Of which is written in such
scenes as disgraced Cincinnati not long since
and which woke up her people to the neces-
sity of rebuking the spirit that begins
with liberalism" and ends with anarchy
This is exactly what the election of Mr. Cot
trell means. If Mr.. Cottrell is elected, there
will be no doubt about its significance. 1t
will be but the preface to greater license to
men who despise the law, and who profit by
its violation. The Importance of the election
goes far beyond the personality OF the candi-
dates or the interests of parties. 1t vitality
affects the security and good name of the city
in all its interests.