Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-01
LEAGUE UTTERS 4 CRY.
Asks the State Not to Cripple
 Its Raiding Arm.

Ine Lettef says, It Ills Nolh Yet to Perform and Proposes to Per form It, Unterrified and Unbought.
 New Haven, Conn, March 1. - The directors of the Law and Order league have issued the following public state ment:
 New Haven, Conn. Feb 2S. 1901. To Our Members and Friends: The Law and Order league of Con neclicut has been actively before the public for nearly nine years. During that time it has secured the arrest or between eight and nine hundred crim- inalS of the classes most difficult to detect through the present inadequate constabulary system Only fifteen of these have been discharged. while more than eight hundred have con- fessed or upon trial been found guilty. These facts show on what firm foun- dations of truth and justice league prosecutions stand. No innocent man has ever had reason to fear the organ ization, the guilty naturally hate it and spread the venom of falsehOod. It is not to be expected that rogues will have a "good opinion of the law Agents of the league detect. not tempt law breakers. We have vain " challenged and still challenge the production of q single authentic case where evidence has been secured by he pretense of sickness or by other illegitimate means. League methods of detecting crime are more cOnServa- tive than those under the auspices of either state or national government.
 No legal fees. not even witness fees accrue to the benefit of the league or any of it's representatives They are invariably used by the officials or cit izens who are sponsors for the work. to defray expenses connected there with. Whatever pains have been talk ell to collect costs have been taken in order that, so far as possible, the finan- cial burdens shall fall upon the vio- lators of the law rather than upon those interested in it's enforcement.
 Were it better that these hundreds of pirates whom the league has brought to justice. and those other hun dre(ls. nay. thousands. who have been deterred or whose business has been decimated. should have been left free to prey upon the community? Will any man affirm that the illegal bars, pool, policy and lottery outfits, roulette tables. faro 1ayOuts, gambling ma chimes. obscene picture machines and other outlaw paraphernalia which the league has destroyed should be rein stated in their former places?
 A bill has been introduced in the general assembly to alter the terms of our charter This bill must have been Introduced at the instigation, and for the benefit of law breakers. The in- terests of no other class of persons can be served by it. Analyze it as care fully as may be. and no other possible object will appear. Nor is the bill a surprise. for it has been known for months past that such a move was being discussed in saloons and dives. There is not q gambling joint, a baw dy-house. an illegal liquor shop but is vitally interested in it's passage.
 The proposed measure would con- demn the league to inaction save when called upon by certain local officials. rendering it helpless where most need ed by reason of 1aNnesS. and when notified to come practically compelling it to do so with a trumpeter and flying banners. The officials may call upon the league. but incur no financial re- Sponsibility for the expenses of inves- tigation. Such bill. could it be re- garded as offered in good faith, must needs be considered wild and impracti- cable. But it is really meant to doom our organization to perpetual paraly- sis.
 The present manifesto must not be taken to signify alarm on the part of the directors of the Law and Order league. It is rather one of reinsurance to such of our friends as. hearing the breathings of threatening and slaugh- ter afar. might otherwise be alarmed.
 
 spirit and method, so often misinter- preted and malisned in the past. are better understood to-day than ever be- fore. The legislature will not pass a measure almost identically the same as that which it buried so deeply two years ago. It will not undertake to strike so effective a weapon from the hands of justice. and rouse the worst enemies of the home. society and state to new hope and activity.
 Among the inalienable rights which belong to citizenship. is the right of in- fiuencing the enforcement of the laws under which free men live. This right inheres to our form of government and constitution. and is set forth in many statutes. The exercise of this right cannot be stifled. Could given agen- cy through which the people exercise the right be struck down, another would take it's place.
 But the time has not come for the Law and Order league to lapse. It has work yet to perform and propos- es to perform it. unterrified and un- bought, and as carefully and as con- scientiously as hitherto. Our cause is the cause of the people-that better cit izenship to which we appeal for moral and financial support. There is no other source from which to supply the ammunition for our war against vice and lawlessness. Stand by your own cause. law-abiding and law-respecting citizens of Connecticut.
 George Austin Bowen. Rufus E.
 Holmes. Thomas l.. Norton, Pierce
 N. W'elch. Joseph H. James. J. Y.
 McDermott. l.. " Moody, L. c. Colt,
 George s. Palmer. William E. Ses-
 sions. F. F. .Arvine. Fred Sumner
 Smith. George G. Williams, F. F.
 Ballard. $. T. Thrasher.
 KIDNAPPING CAPITAL DEFENSE.
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