The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-07-06
OF LID
STRIKES HOME
Saloon Men Encouraged by
Victory Will Open
Sunday.
NO JURY WILL CONVICT
Liquor Dealers Throw Down Gaunt-
let to Governor Hanly-Will
he Take it UP.

The verdict or the jury in the
case of the saloon keeper who was
arrested on d charge of violating the
Nicholson law by selling liquor on
the Fourth of July. points to seri.
Gus defect not in the law itself. but
to the method of executing it. rhe
law seems to be out of joint with
public sentiment.
Yesterday a jury OF twelve adj
mittedly representative men includ-
ing the president of bank. an edi-
tor, a railroad man and an under
taker voted unanimously for the
acqu!ttal of a saloon keeper who ad-
mitted the charge that there had
been men in his saloon on the Fourth
and voted him not guilty regardless
of the fact that the instruction of
the Judge was, you must find the
defendant guilty from the evidence
beyond the question of any reason
able doubt"
Bad in One; Bad in All.
The problem presented for seri-
Gus consideration by those wno~are
studying the working out OF our sys-'
tenn of local self government is not
the fact that il appears impossible
TO secure the enforcement of laws
which may or may not be desirable.
1t is the fact that there are laws
which public sentiment in certain
communities VII not permit to be
enforced because they are obnoxious
to the majority of the people they
were intended to benefit.
1t is the open defiance of such laws
by the people of community that
makes the question of the advisable
ity of enforcing them a serious one.
1t means the fostering of a school
of anarchy and lawyers in this city
say that verdicts such as were rem
dered yesterday where the law was
plain and the guilt of the defendant
unquestioned make it doubly hard
to secure the conviction of criminals
who are a real menace TO society.
Our Fourth of July orators tell us
that this is a government by, for and
of the people and we are told that
: the success OF any form of govern
ment depends upon securing the
consent of the governed. The fact
is emphasized that our system Of
: representation and the opportunity
we have for self government in local
affairs is near approach to the
! ideal.
And yet we find that a majority
of the people of Hammond are writh-
J ing under what they call the oppres-
sion of the law that they did not
help to enact and which is being en-
forced by the man in the executive
= chair at Indianapolis.
y Public Knows What it Wants.
0, II public sentiment In this city Is
le not what it seems to be it is because
se that element of the population which
is is opposed TO an open town does not
raise its voice SO that it may be
~ heard above the loud wall of those
is who prefer a lidless city.
Of There is local option when Il
ty comes to the question of whether OF
IN not there should be saloons at all
If Why then should there not be q
I'd local option Law that would not make
at an approach TO anarchy necessar.
at where public sentiment is opposed
IS to the strict enforcement OF 1t.
t most radical provisions?
1t IS admitted that the Nicholson
law as It applies to secular holiday
n is in operation IN the majority o
towns of the first and second magni
tude in this State Indianapoli
7n which lies under the immediate gaz
es of the governor practically ignore
< it. The personnel of the jury whic
as acquitted Meeker in the face OF hi
~ practical plea of guilt may be a,
Continued on page Il