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

caught. And yet look what you have to meet
IL you draw in the ordinary witness
! can speak from experience Of the difhcu'ty.
When you get man who is frequenter and
patron Of place, he seems called upon to shield
him il he can: he is strangely oblivious TO the
liquor he got there. Perhaps lager Will be corn
beer or some other innocent and fanciful drink;
whiskey will be a beverage OF unknown COM
position. These are Just varieties OF the evil
dence that is encountered by means of the or
dinary witness. Such witnesses perhaps will say
that they did not pay for what they got, SO
as not TO make out a sale: 1t was pure GIT,
Just friendly act the part OF the man
behind the bar who was passing over the liquor,
who did it just as friend-a friend OF the
family perhaps.
And Jurors allow themselves to be humbugged
with Just such stuff. ] sometimes cannot con-
troll myself, to hear parties come in and actually
perure themselves in that way just to let some
fellow get off, and then to have the jurors APP
prove it and sanction it by bringing the party
in not guilty.
allude to this, gentlemen, simply to point
out how it happens that we have come to the
pass that ! believe we are inflow these diff
culties exist They are constantly experienced.
Parties who are called upon to administer the
law understand il. 1t is time that jurors, rep
resentativc body Of men, have their attention
called to it, and the attention of the commun-
ity called to it by this public charge
It has got to stop il law would amount to
anything in this community One disregard Of
the law brings on another. Let lose his
respect for one branch Of it and he will be
under the temptation to disregard another; it
is progressive.
THE ONLY WAY.
The only way is to hold it and enforce it, as
we are all sworn to do, in every part. We
| are not responsible for the law. The party
knows the law; there is not a man breaking
| the liquor law but what does it knowingly. II
| is not any mistake on his part. lie knows II
| Just as well as the thief who steals my prop
| erty. And why should he he favored IN thC
| administration Of the law? Why, when the law
SAYS he shall not, shall he be allowed to go on?
| In these words gentlemen, l have endeavorec
| not to ipfame your minds, not TO unduly in
| huence you, but simply to allude to facts that
are Just as much in your own cognizance al
| they are in mine; l simply have arrayed then
| before you. Sometimes these things escape us
or we only see a part Of them. Now you have
| them brought together, they are face to face
| with you. | have done my duty in this matter
| the question is whether you will do yours. Al
| | say | do not desire you to treat these case
| that come before you any differently from wha
YOU would any other case, | simply ask you L
treat them the same way, | simply ask you no
| to array your prejudice against them, but t.
recognize that a violation OF the liquor law i
| a violation of the law; it is just as much
| violation Of the law theft is.
| These men who are selling without % icens
| are fching out of the treasury the license the.
| ought to pay. What privilege should a MAJ
| have who comes in and applies for licens
| and goes through the farce of obtaining it an'
then does not take it out2 Suppose they al
should do thatY They will in time. Who vii
| respect the law?
lou AFon11 Ia he wit