The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-02-11
w. @. T. u.
Town and County Officials.

w. ~ L. v.
Town and County Officials.
The clause in the prohibition law re-
lating to town and county officials, may
disabuse the minds of many people of
the idea that the w. {. T. U. is the only
body that is accountable for the enforce
ment of the law. If the officials who are
elected and paid by the people to per-
form this work, with the added prestige
of being voters and having helped to
make ahe laws-fail to accomplish its en-
forcement (not always their fault, for no
small obstacles stand in the way of its
enforcement; it is hedged about with
difficulties which requires nerve to sur
mount) )but if they often fail in their duty,
why in the name Of justice should COM
pany of women be berated for not doing
their work for them, simply because they
have entered an organized protest against
intemperance and are engaged in educat-
ing themselves on temperance lines, and
in awakening and creating public senti-
ment on the subject?
Doesn't it look rather queer for COM
pany of able-bodied and sound-minded
men, whose place it is to execute the
law, by virtue of their legal and divine
responsibility, say, "why don't the
women shut up these blind pigs?" (Not
only are men in legal Office directly re-
sponsible for the laws enforcement, but
every citizen of whatever business or oc-
cupation.)
Now, only fancy these protectors of
home, society and country taking their
ease while the gentle home maker is our
chasing pigs trying to get them into a
place which they cannot uproot and pol
lutte by their filthy presence. It's an ugly
task, pigs are stubborn and hard to man
age. They recognize no law that they
are bound to obey. They have no sense
of the beautiful; they will as ruthlessly
uproot the choicest flowers as the dirty
heaps of rubbish. Their choice is to
wallow in filth. Their only quest is to
CRAFTY Self, overturning anything that
comes in their way, with contemptous
grunts for what it may cost others, and
true to their cowardly nature when they
are caught they plteously squeal. This
is the animal, in the moral sphere, which
the gentle guardian of the home with her
unequal physical and legal strength is
expected to catch and control. Really,
now, brothers, this is not worthy of you;
has your sense of chivalry so deserted
you as to render you unmanly?
The w. c. T. U will take share O
the responsibility Though in the eyes of
the law it hasn't any and it will not
shirk the share of censure that falls to its
lot, for it is not endowed with infallibility;
but it must occasionally protest against
being made tie object-by friends and
foe-upon which to heap reproaches and
criticisms for the combined errors and
failures in duty of every legal citizen.
If people whose temperance principles
are strong enough to desire to see the
law enforced land feel that the w. c. T.
U. is the proper body to do it) would do
the humane act ofjoining hands with it,
they would create force that no blind
pigs and law breakers could withstand.
May they think on these things and see
upon which side justice falls. Every man
and woman who believe in abolishing
the liquor traffic should unite their influ-
ence in one body against it. The ques-
ton is. why don't they? When their con-
victions are as strong as their assertions,
they will. A w. c. T. U.-In Coopers-
town Courier.