Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-04-29
AS Others See Us.

uO SuO(klhS oeOAy Va $AAAAS
and death that comes from Cor
wallis should set people who are
clamoring for ''more law, +" in
the interest of temperance re-
form to thinking. Is it really
more law that we want, or IS
| it not that one or two laws car
rying the most wholesome re-
strictions that can possibly be en-
acted, have been plainly violated
! in this case? Here we have a
lad not yet 10 years old frequent
ing saloons contrary to law and
being supplied with liquor con-
trary to law, killed by shot from
sheriff's pistol while murder
ously resisting arrest while drunk.
A boy, we are told, who was the
son of worthy and exemplary
parents; who was possessed of
MANY excellent traits of charac-
ter, who was not frequently in
toxicated, but who was "ugly
when drinking"
Was it not manifestly the busi-
ness of some one in authority to
see that this boy was not allowed
to go into saloons? Or, further.
that any one who sold or gave
him Intoxicating liquor should be
visited with the penalty, plainly
prescribed by law for this most
fragrant damnable--ofense
Rep orts that have come to us
of this most distressing affair
show that officers and friends
acting the role of peacemakers
did all in their power to disarm
the unfortunate lad and take him
into custody without harming
him. But, being wild through
a drinking bout, which had lasted
the greater part of the night, and
"ugly" because of the fire that
ran riot in his youthful veins, he
would not listen to reason and in
the final attempt of the sheriff
to save the lives of others from
the. -murderous pistol shots that
rang out upon the morning ali
from the drunken boys pistol, be
was killed. .
Official Vigilance falls far short
OF its duty when a crisis of this
kind is allowed come; parental
vigilance falls far short of its
duty when a minor is allowed to
hang around saloons all night, or
at all, or to become intoxicated
more than once.
If there were no law forbidding
a aloon-keeper to harbor a minor
about his place of business, a
clamor would go up for the en-
actment of such a law, and there
the case too often rests. If there
were no law forbidding the sale
or gift of liquor to minors, a de-
mand for the enactment of such a
law would resound throughout
the land; having such a law, no
further thought is given to the
matter.
Accessory after the fact are
those in authority who permit
these fundamental laws of tenn
perance, that are found upon the
statute-books of every state to be
openly and frequently violated; !;
culpable indeed are parents or
other legal guardians of boys
who, upon the first evidence that
these laws have been violated,
do not avail themselves of the
right to prosecute men who are
the instruments of their sons un-
doing. 1t should not be difficult
to enforce these laws in rural
or village community. That
they are not enforced in Corvallis
is attested not only by the death
of Chester Ready, aged Is, shot
while drunk, by the sheriff in
pursuance of his duty, but by the
drunken companions of similar
age who had passed the greater
part of the night in a saloon, and
by two officers, wounded perhaps
unto death by the drink-crazed
boy before he fell. There is
strong temperance sermon in all
of this, and 1t does not call for
more temperance legislation, but
for the enforcement of the whole
some and practical laws that we
have.-Oregonian of April 26.
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