The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-07-16

a frequenter of dives and joints, sucI
az the county attorney "has reason +
believe" that Mr.. Scott is, does no
know who is violating the law, ther
who in the world does? The rar
sagacity with which the county at
torney picked on the one man in al
the county who was the most likel,
to be on the very inside of all tina
sort of law breaking cannot be tot
highly commended 1t is nearly
equal to the prudence that led him tC
accept a plea of guilty at the last
term of court to the mildest count liz
the information against Joe Langley
and let him off with a fine of 500
without Jail sentence, rather than
risk the chances of trial, although
the sheriff7s Office was crowded with
the bar fixtures and liquors taken
from LaDgley's place of business, and
the names of numerous witnesses
had been furnished.
We have no disposition to render
harsh judgment against the county
attorney, or to demand impOssibilities
of him. We know that it is very
difficult thing indeed, under the pres
ent law, to absolutely enforce prohi-
bition. But when certain well
known men are arrested every month
and plead guilty to violating a
city prohibitOry ordinance and are
fined fifty dollars, when the place
and the nature of their business are
so well known that a stranger needs
no guide to find it, it does seem as if
it ought not be an impossible thing
to get convicting evidence against
them. 1t has not been impossible in
other counties. p. G. Young drove
the jointists out of Wilson county.
Senator Lamb drove them out of
WoOdsOn county, and over i'm Fit.
Scott j. L. Sheppard has closed things
up as tight as drum. 1t certainly
ought not to be any harder TO close
the saloons in village of 1900 than
it is in a city of 5000. We asked Mr..
Sheppard once how he did it, and he
replied, 81 simply gave the saloons
to understand that they must stop
the business or be prosecuted" We
believe that at least three out of four
of the joints in Allen county would
go out of business witOut a struggle
if determined and able LAWYER
would tell them that they had to
do iG.
We repeat, we have no disposition |
to criticise the county attorney I'M
duly, or to demand impOssibilities of |
him. 1t may be that the prohibitOry |
law cannot be enforced in this county. |
But we should like to see somebody |
try it. Suppose there were four or |
i've places in lola where it was COM
monty reported that men were held |
Up and robbed. And suppose that
this report was substantiated by the
TACT that these men were arrested
)nce month and pleaded guilty to
robbery and paid fine. Wouldn't
he county attorney be getting after
hem? Well, it would be agreeable
10 great many people in this county
20 see the same vigilance exercised
n enforcing one law that is shown
n enforcing others.
We do not want our Humboldt
friends to think that anything we have
aid in this matter has been dictated
~ i'll will toward their town. We
lave simply stated what we under
tand to be matters of public record.
With no other motive than to remedy
possible what all must regard as a
leplorable state of affairs, not ONLY =
here, but in lola and other towns of
ne county as well. And we do not
want our friends anywhere in the coun-
TO think that anything we have said
las been dictated by partizaIi or per-
onal malice. We have said what we
ave said, simply because we think
hat the criminal laws of the State
ught to be enforced. The enforce
lent of law is the only loyal course
'r the people of RepU bile to pursue.
ecause the law is their sovereign
nd disobedience to it is disloyalty to
lelr country. And if we consent that =
ne law shall be ignored, what answer
ave we when the demand shall come +
lat another law be also ignored
nd what is there left of the State /;
men every citizen may choose what
WIS he will obey and what ones he r
III not? If the people OF Allen coun-
tnlnk Inherently, if they have come VI
the conclusion that they do not
ant the prohibitory law enforced and
q willing to take the chances of
lnglng all law into contempt by
eatlng this one without respect. and
they will tell US so, we will apollo
1e and retract and keep still. But
I'll they do tell Us so, we are going
take 1t for granted that they believe
we DO In this matter, and we will .,
9tinue as occasion may offer, to give IL
ice to what we believe to be the sen. =.
lent OF the great majority of the ~
)ple.
lee page six for a column of adj