Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-12-22
Doing Their Duty Best They Can

Doing Their Duty Best They Can.
To the Editor of the %1nter-ocean.
One of our local papers calls
upon the temperance people to do
something to check the fragrant
lawlessness which is such a prom
inent feature of our town Of the
evil-omened name.
The temperance people are glad
to be called upon, for they place it's
proper valuation upon the tre-
mendous influence of the press,
and they rejoice hat at last our
local papers are awakening to the
loss to our community, financial as
we'll as moral, because of the law
less parasites who keep capital and
desirable citizens away and attract
the bum fraternity which other
parts of the state will not tolerate.
The temperance people, however,
have not been idle. They have
waited upon our officials, not de-
handing but humbly entreating
that they do their duty, only to be
put off with promises and treated
with more or less courtesy accord
ing to the temperament and breed
ing of the men interviewed. They
have spent time, money and effort
in futile attempts to accomplish
what our municipal officers are
apparently determined shall not be
done.
But why call upon the temper
ance people alone to remove the
barnacles from our municipal ship?
Why not call upon the fathers and
mothers whose children are doom
ed to go'down in the maelstrom of
lawlessness and vice about which
their inexperienced barks are
lowering! Why not call upon the
!. churches, Catholic, Methodist,
Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episco-
pal, whose daily prayer ''lead us
not into temptation, deliver us
from evil is rankest mockery un-
less they seek to remove the
temptation, to destroy the evil
Why not call upon the business
men who bear the heavy end of
municipal taxation, who bear
heavy losses through bad debts
because the money which should
have paid these debts has been
drunk up and gambled away
Most effective of all, why not cal
upon our municipal officers who
are elected, paid, sworn to uphold
the majesty of the law! Call upon
our police which proves itself
blind as any sightless porcine, as
witness the scandalous violations
of law on the day Of Go. d parade
Call upon our sheriff who is sc
. swift to subpoena and to arrest 70,
all violations but those of the pro
hibition lawl Call upon our states
attorney who has proved himself 81
able in throwing obstacles in tn,
way of the Law enforcement
league!
Speaking of the Law Enforce
ment league reminds us that all o
nearly all of our reputable bushes
men and citizens contribute to tn
league, but they fear to do s.
openly. If the real strength of tn
element who find the present con
dition of affairs intolerable wer
known, the Hooligans who nov
think they own this town woul'
not have so much power to intimi
date citizens and officials.
All political parties have unite,
in condemning Roberts of poly
gamous fame as a aw-breakel
Where polygamy has slain it
thousands, rum has slain it
millions, therefore let us call upol
our county political organization
to unite in condemning and stamp
ing out the lawlessness which i
proving our bane. This is a Re
publican community and the onu
of it's l~awlessness rests wholly upo
the Republican organization. Sen
ator Hansbrongh sets his follower
a good example. Last summer h
gave his check for a liberalamoun
to the Law Enforcement leagu
saying: "The cause of prohibitio
and its enforcement is RICH
Whenever I have had an oppol
tunity to aid it I have done sc an
will continue to do So" If ever
Republican in this county did tn
same, we would, today, be as REF
pectable-and as prosperous q
Grand Forks and Fargo. w.
IN
Robbed the Grave.