The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-24
THE SALOON LAW-BREAKERS,

Terre Haute has been suffering, just as
indianapolis has been, from the non-enforce-
ment of the laws against the saloon keepers,
while the poor devils who drink their whisky,
and get drunk and disorderly are arrested and
fined without conjunction. Judge Mack,
Democrat, has grown tired of the farce, just
as did Mayor Denny in this city, and on
Monday, in his charge to the grand jury, the
Judge said:
II wish to direct your attention to the
mournful record that is being made in the
Police Court from day to day. 1t there APP
pears that from two to twenty persons are
daily fined for being found drunk Many of these
unfortunates go to Jail, and while there at
heavy expense to the county, their families
are suffering at home. have no fault to find
with the officers who do their duty in punish
ing them, but there is fault somewhere, else
the men who sell liquor to intoxicated men
would themselves, instead of their victims, be
looking through iron bars at the outer world
The law fixes a severe penalty for this offense,
yet we never hear of anyone being prosecuted
for selling to drunken man. See what you
can do to correct this evil. Have all persons
convicted of drunkenness summoned before
you and learn who sold them liquor when
drunk. A few examples of this kind will
have wholesome effect
This business will stop just when court
can be found which will send to the Jail or to
the house the sleek and well-fed criminals
who stand behind the bar and violate the law
with arrogant impunity. 1t is not the fault of
%ha "a &ho44 L. l.
done here and the police are now doing their
full duty, under the advice Of superintend-
ent who does not take his orders from "Sim"
Coy. Here in Marion county these white
aproned criminals have had a refuge in the
Criminal Court, and by frauds and forgeries
committed for them and in their interest.
that court is still in the hands of the friends
of the law breakers. The man who assumes
to sit upon that bench has no more title to the
place than "Sim' Coy himself; he knows that
he is sitting there by virtue of a
gross and laundering crime. He
knows that he owes his place to
penitentiary offenses committed by those who
should be in the State-prison, crimes perpe-
trated at the command of, or under the direc-
ton Of or in the interest of, the very gang of
law breakers who crowded the Mayors Court
and so defantly appealed all their cases to
their tool and creature. The people of no
civilized community were ever SO outrageous
ly insulted and disgraced as are the people of
Indianapolis by having this fraudulent acting
Judge on the bench Of the court upon which
they must rely for protection against all
grades of criminals. With what cheek can
such a man look into the face of any one
brought before him and presume to pronounce
a sentence upon himg There should be vir-
tue enough in the people and in the courts of
this county to end this scandal peremptorily.
If courts are to be stolen by high handed
crimes for the benefit of high -handed Grim
inals, and the pusillanimous tools for whom
they are stolen'will consent to usurp the
functions of justice and carry out the wishes
Of their masters, without an effective protest
on the part Of an honest citizenship and an
honest judiciary, then we might as we'll sur
render at once. The Journal believes this man,
this fraud, will be speedily hurled from the
bench he disgraces. followed by the indignant
excavations of an outraged public This is
not a little matter; it is not partisan" ques-
ton. 1t is whether courts of justice are to
become the prizes of desperate criminals and
whether judgeships are to be decided by fraud
and forgery. Are penitentiary crimes and
penitentiary convicts to determine who our
judges shall beY