The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-05-30
Members Of the Civic Federation
May Seek to Prosecute Mayor
and Members Of the Council
CHARGE IS MALFEAsANcE
District Attorney Baker Has Been Con-
suited on Such Prosecution.
But No Formal Complaint Has
Been Filed With Him

| The leaders or the henoSha Civic
Federation are aggrieved and confer.
ences are being held today to decide
as to what course will be taken in re-
gard to the action of the Common
Council in transferring the. liquor
license of Herman Miller at the meet
ling on Monday night. Miller has kept
a saloon on Market street for many
years and he now proposes to open a
new place on Middle street and to this
end he asked for a transfer of the
license and this was granted. Leaders
of the Civic Federation declared this
Imorning that the aldermen or at least
some of them had pledged their word
Ithat there would be no more transfers
Iof licenses and that for this reason
the Federation had not gone into the
Courts to prevent such action. A
time Of trouble is in sight for the
saloon men and they will probably be
forced to expend considerable money
ito fight the Federation as the members
lare planning the arrest of every man
doing business under transferred
license. The Supreme Court has ruled,
on the question and there is no doubt
but that the Federation has the legal,
end of the controversy.
I ]. H. Karnes, one of the directors
| of the Federation, said, this morning,
members of the Council had pro-
missed us that there would be no more
transfers of licenses and we had ex-
pected that they would keep their
word. The Fedora ton is not down
and out but we have hard row. It
is hard matter to convict any of
these saloon men with iuries picked
up on the streets and we are seeking
for some way by which we can get at,
German and members of the Council.
These men are aware of the fact that
they were doing an illegal act when
they transferred that license and
there should be some way under the
law to get at them.
The law has been closely searched.
but it is difficult to find any statute
under which the Mayor and the mem
bers of the Council could be arrested,
unless it be the statute for malfeas-
ance in Office, and there is some doubt
as to whether or not such a proseeH-
ton would stand Mayor German has
thrown down the def to the members
of the Federation, and the members
are keeping decidedly close tab, on
every movement made by the Mayor
and his friends in order to.fnd place
to lodge bolt which will affect the
Mayor and his friends directly. The
Federation leaders declare that they
have no desire to interfere with any
legal work of the Council, and that all
that they have asked is that the
Council observe the laws of the state
and the ordinances of the city. There
will probably be some fireworks in
this fight within the next few days.
District Attorney Baker, when seen
this morning, stated that the members
of the Federation had taken up the
question Of indicting the city officials
with him, but that no formal COM
plant had been made to him. He said
that he would not like to express an
opinion on the merits of such an &C
ton without a fuller examination of
/ the state laws and the decisions ofthe
Supreme Court. However, he stated
thatif a formal complaint was made
to him, he would have no hesitancy
in beginning the prosecutions.
j Other attorneys seen seemed to be
of the opinion that the Federation
have made rich find in the proposi-
ton to indict the officials for NAL
feasance and they seemed to be of the
opinion that such prosecution would
stick.