Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-21
The Evi, of the Justice Shop System.

The EVIL of the Justice SnOp SysIch'
Since the proceeding in Rock Is
land justice court, wherein a citizen
against whom nothing but the allega-
ton. and that prompted indlsputaDly
by vicious and vindictive motives, had
been offered was bound over to the
grand Jury. there has been probably
more agitation of the evils of the JUS
tice shop system in Rock Island than
ever before. And now that the city
council has adopted the course essen
tial to the elimination of the dives
provided the law is enforced-the next
move i'll the interest of public morals.
to say nothing of the protection OF the
citizen against the scheming, conspir-
ing CRATER. is to wipe ont the justice
shop abomination.
The abuse of the local court is not
q new phase of the control OF pubic
institutions Ii is but another evidence
of the rottenness that will ensue where
any man or body of INSCRIPTIONS men.
taking advantage of the quiet indiifer-
ence of the people generally TO what Is
going on. build up a system out OF
which they may thrive. Living OFF
protection" himself. the man who
preyS upon vice must needs have pro
lection He must have, first of all,
the justice courts under his control.
and as faras possible he must have pull
with some of the officers of the county
courts This being the case, his high
est ambition is to keep in touch with
the states attorney-and if possible
with the sheriff.
The Argus has from time 10 time
discussed the low condition into which
the local courts in Rock Island have
been degenerating. and has always in
sisted that some day there would be
an awakening Slowly perhaps. but
Just as surely as one day succeeds
another. events are shaping themselves
TO bring about that awakening. Some
years ago. the justice shop system in
Chicago became such a curse that il
was made the prime issue in the local
election. with the result that it was
wiped off the earth. Conditions had
gone from bad to worse until no man
was safe unless he stood in with the
gang. Innocent men were bound over
to the grand jury because either they
offended the gang or refused to pay
tribute to it. The characters of some
of the best citizens of Chicago were
smirched. while men of low instincts
who ought TO have been behind prison
bars, and some of whom now are
there, strutted the streets cocks of the
walk.
Not all of the justice courts of Rock
Island have became debauched. and it
may be that not all of the constables
are in hands of the gang that is daily
bemoaning the fate of the dives. re-
sulting from the councils action, but
there are conditions prevailing here
that afford food for reflection, at least.
Where cOnstableS go out and deliber-
ately pick juries. made up in part of
bartenders from the lowest dives in
town, either for the purpose of convict
ing decent men and public officials one
day-as was the case recently when q
plea of guilty on the part of
the rightly accused put an
end to the put-up job-and the next
day select the same kind 10 adjudicate
differences between creditor and debtor
in civil proceeding, things advance
rapidly toward the promised awaken
ing.
In some cities where the Justice shop
system has been permitted to go I'M
checked. the same cOnstables that
make the practice of jury picking in
the Justice courts have had the temer-
ity to seek places on the grand jury,
that they might there be, as far as
possible. at the service of their cor
rupt boss either in carrying out the
further work of persecution or of vindi-
cation, as it might suit the gang
Rock Island has had innumerable
instances of the evil of the justice
shop. and the subject is one to which
the public may well afford to give ser
ious thought.
The blow has been struck at the
dive. Let the next be at the justice
ShOD evil