The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-08
CONSTABLES
SEVERELY
ARRAIGNED

tCOnCudcd from Page 3.
home, ought to be kept home, going around for |
social pleasure innocent perhaps at the start,
but there are a lot Of people VINO are abroad
for Just such innocent girls, and II is matter
of observation that many of them picking up
an acquaintance in a flirting way, arc led by
their elders into places where liquor is dealt
out and these girls under age, are allowed to
be supplied with liquor, and in tnat way. with
their minds befoggcd by liquor, the ground IL
laid for undermining their virtue in very
much more serious way.
There YOU see is example where selling 10
minors. selling to girls-we sometimes think
our boys arc the only ones that are in danger
from the liquor trnnc--but selling of this kind
to girls is even more pregnant with danger
and with disaster to the community ana TO the
welfare and peace Of every one, than to boys
WHY is LAW DIsREGARDED?
We'll, gentlemen. how does all this that have
alluded 10 come about? Why is the law disre'
rardcd in this way2 Perhaps you have already
begun to ask yourselves that question. some say
it is the fault of the judges. | have not ihfre'
uuenty been waited upon by committees OF men
who were licensed dealers in liCuor asking mat
the Judges should do something TO break up IN:
illegal selling that there was going on around
them They seem TO have thought that tIere
was the place to resort. All of the Judges
have no doubt, have the same experience.
Letters will come and do come constantly TO
the Judges making similar complaints 1hese
are more frequent Just before license court thah
at other times, and almost always are anonymous.
Gentlemen, the judges ready to do their
duty to the last degree but these parties who sp'
peal 20 the judges mistake the power OF the
Judges with regard to insttuting any prosecu.
ton. We may refuse licenses but what would
he the result. Speakeasies would spring up IN
their places.
We try to exercise a wholesome mean between
indscriminatc licensing on the one hand, and a
restriction on the other that would result, as
have lust said, in increasing the number OF these
parties who 20 on selling without license.
venture to say that any liquor case that
comes up for trial in court receives from the
Judges different consideration from what an or
binary case would II you were present in court,
! believe you would readily note il. | find it
my duty to talk TO jurors, to charge them when
here in the trial of liquor case, differently from
what | would in an ordinary case, so that II
may not be charged that the court has not done
its full duty in the premises. ! frequently speak
to Judges who are called in here from press OF
business, and tell them they must do the same,
that they have got TO hold the matter up to the
Jurors more strngently than in an ordinary case.
But gentlemen, the judges cannot prosecute.
| cannot sit judge in the trial OF a case
il | direct man to be prosecuted. So ii or
my colleagues have got to start prosecutions,
t1lf gnfnQ 70 =
~ ,t; honab and son,oi,odv elso has cot 70 come
4, AL ,r,. ,,o ,,so II ~ ontiroI, inconnatib,e
.i,I, o,,. I,tios
WHAT PEOPLE THINK.
People think, mistakenly that we can assist
| them in this matter. Then again Others think
| tho rlavor is the man the MAYOR Of Scranton
| They saw. why he has all the police force back
| of him: thc nolice roam all around the city and
| tbey know what is going on; il any of these
| places are selling without license they know
! liz il any of them are selling openly on Sunday
| thev know If: IL he would only lust say the
| word TO the policc these places would be shut up
! They point to Pittsbure and Philadelphia, where
| the law is more strictly administered If you
| wrrc in either of those cities on Sunday YOU
| would find it a very difficult thing to get glass
| Of liouor II Won were sick YOU would have to
/ get a prescription and 90 TO a druggist 80
! stringently is the law enforced and so orderly
| as A result is the whole community. And that
| il all as peonle argue because the mayor with
his hand upon the police presses these parties
| and makes them close
Others saw il is the district attorney he is the
| general prosecutor: he las the assistance Of the
county detective; II he would only ornS press,
would have 70 close He nrosecutes other cases,
If = man is ,p,,rlercd or 10 therc is a robberv
| committed be nrosecrtes Wbv doesn't no nrose.
| cuta tbo violations of tbn Iinuor law which lie
hack of these other offences,
| Than tbere are stiu others that Law IL to the
| ,onstobIos THO constobIes tbov saw are tho an.
| nointed narties. the law makes ibom come I'm and
| rivn in their returns AT every ouarter sessions
stating that they have been all around through
thoir wards and through their townshins and
thov have had their ovcs on those narties 70 500
whether they are selling on Sunday or selling
without \ license and they do not 500 anvtbng
Thcv are annointed m watch hut tbev arc not
| watching II is even CHARGED that tbov ara
elected not ia watch. that the 1iouor influence !.
what elects tbe constables and that as soon
as n man pets to ho a constable Lo docs NOT
have to do o,,vtbinr cIsc. vbat ev,r,bodv oIsf
soos no conrot
snca,; of these thinps becousc evorvhod>
speaks Of them. | mcntion them. bowcvcr with
out anv further comment Whatever oni,ion
NAV have in tbc ratter do not oxnress II W,
have reached ;hc point gentlemen. where regard