Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1891-09-03
FOR ANXIOUS |NQU|RERS.
How to Make the Prohibition
Law Il Conspicuous and H.
Illuminated Success,
State EnfOrccmcnt Leagues Re-
minded of the Majesty Of
Their Authority.
Details by Which the Friends OF
Temperance Can Reform
IL Man,
If Not. WHY Not?

If Not. Why Not?
In acceding to a request, the states
attorney Of Trail county has given the
county enforcement league some very
spicy and striking advice on how to make
prohibition prohibit, and for the benefit
of those anxious to enforce the law, and
for the information of the public, The
Alert reproduces the substance of it.
He has gained his experience, he says, in
three years work of that specific char
acter. In the first place, if not before
harvest, then afterwards, all enforcement
leaguers ought to read the prohibition
law through. Its provisions may not all
be grasped at one sitting, but its full di-
gestion would be masterful aid in the
accomplishment of the leagues object
The attorney reels off the substance Of
the law in sections, each one moro COM
plete, effective and exterminating than
the proceeding. Some of the criminal
lnfractions are as fcllows:
TO import for sale or gift, or barter,
intoxlcants as a beverage, is punishable
by a fine of not less than 5000 or more
than 81 900 and Imprisonment for 80
days or year, and for second offence
from one to two years in the state peni-
tentiary. 10 secure the conviction by
evidence, OF an otfense, is made easy by
law. There are all kinds of legal aids
given, and few subterfuges or technical
tiles can be devised to prevent a convic-
tion if the genuine evidence is obtained.
1t IS not a specific sale or gift alone that
is forbidden, but the excepting for sale"
and "otfering for sale" When an atfi-
davit IS obtained that the law has been
violated, district attorneys are given a
double -barreled gun IN an Injunction and
and a search warrant. Under the latter
the sheriff may take possession OF the
premises and hold them until final jndg-
ment, unless bond to the value of the
building is given that they shall not be
used in violation of the law. Subpoenas
can be issued for the witnesses. The
question of perjury is then to be consid-
cred, and 1t is curious to speculate on
how many men will perjure themselves
to screen a liquor seller. The experience
of the attorney above named is that nine
tenths of the mon who have obtained
liquor IN violation of the law, will perjure
themselves to protect the party who let
them have the drinks, but with the
tenth man, often the most effective work
can be done. Sometimes, however,,
adds the attorney "the tenth man heads
the procession, and you do not have to
drill your way through the digital ranks
to him."
After an injunction has been served,
the violator of any of It's terms is in con-
tempt OF court, and the offender IS pun
ishable with the same penalties as on
conviction upon indictment, and can be
summarily tried by the court, and not by
jury, where all sorts of accidents are
liable to occur. The attorney further
advises his temperance brethren:
"These are not all the features of the
prohibition law, and after harvest you
had better 1ead it. Here are some things
that you can do: If your neighbor is
truthful, and gets drunk, find out where
he got his liquor; he may not suspect
you; you may be called sneak; for so
prosecuted they the prophets that we're
before you. Give me the information; if
l am away, give it to any of the officers
of the league. If man will make an
affidavit, but does not want to complain
or go to court take 1t; I got one of this
kind and in ten days the man who gave
1t was in Jail himself. for selling liquor.
but the affidavit went right on with Its
work, and plugged up the worst hole in
the county, and drove its keeper out of
the state. I was sorry for the man in
Jail, but could not help it,-a gun will
kick sometimes.
'Cause the arrest of every man found
drunk IN a public place; justices of the
peace have full jurisdiction in such cases,
and fine or two sometimes leads to
where he got the liquor.
"My final advice to you is, get evil
dence; as the father advised his son about
getting money, get it honestly If you can,
but get it.
"Now if any exertion at all is made in
the way of assisting officers, in addition
to what is already accomplished, I do not
see why an era cannot be established,
which, if people would speak the honest
convictions of their hearts, would be des-
cribed best by that oft quoted remark,
so touching and expressive, said to have
originated in a conversation between the
executives of two of our southern states"
Hos All tho Iv,~,,oyo~,ou&.