The Springfield herald., 1908-01-03
LAWS MUST
BE ENFORCED
GOVERNOR sucHTEL's PROCLAIM.
ALTON TO DISTRICT ATToR-
NEYs AND PEACE OFFICERS.
OF VICE
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY PRO.
CEED AGAINST GAMBLING AND
ILLEGAL LIQUOR SELLING.

recently expounded by Judge Allen OF
the District Court In the food trust
prosecution, Governor Buchtel an
nounces in a proclamation that he
has arranged with Attorney General
Dickson to have violators of the state
laws against gambling and forbidden
liquor traflc prosecuted by the attor-
ney general in counties where the Or
dinary peace officers are charged by
reputable witnesses with neglect OF
their duty.
Governor Buchtel's proclamation is
as follows:
State House, Denver. Colo,
Dec. 2S, 1907.
ITO the District Attorneys and Peace
officers of the State of Colorado
Greeting:
"The statutes of Colorado place GER
tain specific duties in the hands of
district attorneys and peace officers.
These officers are elected by the peo-
pie to execute the laws and keep the
peace. For the most part the dis
trict attorneys and peace officers of
Colorado are doing quite their whole
duty. 1t is conceded by those who
have been for long time familiar
with moral conditions in this state
that the laws are now better executed
than ever before in our history. This
is exactly what we ought to expect.
Two years from this time in the mid
die of the term of Office of my sue
cessor, we ought to be able to say
again that the laws are better exc
cuted than ever before. The whole
struggle of civilization is an effort to
bring men to the point where they
Will endure the stimulus OF high mo-
tives. In frontier communities cer-
tain common vices are at first toler-
ated openly. In process of time they
are restricted, and yet tolerated. In
the best communities they are ulti-
mately prohibited absolutely and pros
ecutions follow whatsoever the law
is violated.
"The most bitter opposition is al
ways directed against the efforts of
the peace officers who set themselves
to the task of executing the laws.
When these officers perform their du-
ties they are assailed by the whole
tribe of law breakers-saloon men,
gamblers. prize fighters. harlots and the
men who rent buildings for immoral
purposes. Seldom do district attor-
neys and peace officers receive any
words of encouragement from the law
keeping people. because these people
do not appear to think it necessary to
speak word of approval to faithful
officers. So wish to praise the brave
men In office who have done their
duty in the face OF all manner of hos
tility. In many localities in Colorado
there is now no open gambling and
no prize fighting
Ever since l have been in office as
governor I have been consulting able
Iou OH tu fn
the execution of the laws against
these common vices in which young
men and young women are wrecked
for time and for eternity. ] have Sc
cured many opinions from sincere and
able men who were eager to give me
sound advice. l have also secured
opinions from those who were insin-
cere; from men who desired to en-
barrass me in aid of the political am
bitions Of insincere men. But all these
opinions are in substantial agreement.
Every one admits that the governor
has no power to remove any official
from Office who has been elected by
the people"
The governor here discusses the au-
thority possessed by state executive
and quotes from the report of a grand
Jury at Joplin, Missouri. He goes on
to say:
after long searching we have at
last found method of aiding in the
execution of the laws against the
common vices of gambling and illegal
liquor selling. In the history of Colo
RADIO the attorney general has never
been required by the governor to GO
into District Court to secure the exc
cution of any laws until within few
weeks. When the attorney general.
the Hon. William II. Dickson, came to
ask my authority, under our statutes.
to enable him to proceed to dissolve
the food trust, I instantly issued the
necessary order. At once it occurred
to me that We might proceed in the
same way against such common forms
of vice as gambling and Illegal liquor
selling Notwithstanding the fact that
this is the duty of district attorneys
and peace officers. | therefore ad-
dressed a letter to the attorney gen
eral on that subject. And now ] have
the attorney generals assurance that
we can proceed against these forms of
vice in the District Courts of Colorado
and that he will gladly undertake
such legal proceedings at my request.
The authority of the attorney general
to institute proceedings in the Dis
trict Court to dissolve the food trust
was vigorously assailed by an army of
brilliant attorneys. His authority will
be assailed now by a much larger
army when we institute proceedings
against the crowd of law breakers who
are engaged in illegal liquor selling
and gambling and other common
forms of vice.
"I therefore appeal to all district
attorneys and peace officers to proceed
at once to do their whole duty in exc
cutting all the laws. In any counties
where such an extraordinary pro-
ceeding shall be necessary. ! will give
the attorney general authority to pro-
ceed against law-breakers when the
necessary evidence is brought to me
by reputable citizens who will agree
to go into court with the attorney
general to testify to such violations of
the law Very sincerely,
mIILINRY A BIrCITEI