The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-11
SOMMER
ON ENFORCEMENT
OF CRIMINAL Law
In Speech Scores Apathy Con-
corning Sunday Liquor
Selling in Some Cities.
FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF
POLITICAL MACHINERY
Board of Charities and COrrec=
tions Hear How Difficult 1t
Is to Suppress Crime.

Sheriff Sommer spoke on mon
enforcement of the Criminal Law-Its
Causes and Its Consequences" at the
meeting of the State Conference Of
Charities and Corrections yesterday,
and explained the process of growth of
crime through lack of enforcement.
Among other things, he said:
1.-THE fact hat in certain munich
palities large numbers of the people,
and in some, perhaps, a majority. re-
gard the sale of intoxicants on Sunday
as an act innocent in itself has led, in
these municipalities. to the lax or non
enforcement of these laws.
General public sentiment in these
communities neither demands the gen.
eral and effective enforcement of these
laws by those on whom the duty of
their execution is imposed, nor resents
the failure to execute them. Constl-
tutional and statutory provisions in the
several tates declare gaming in all its
various forms to be a crime.
with respect to these provisions the
situation with reference TO public senti-
ment and lax and non-enforcement is
much the same. This, too, may be said
of the statutes prohibiting maintenance
of ba~wdy-houses and declaring their
maintenance a crime, which statutes
are d~eclaratory of the common law.
'Many profess Though seldom pub
licly) to believe these establishments to
be necessary social evils In h main
those who do not entertain his belief
are content which such a show of en-
forcement as suffice TO keep these estab-
lishments beyond the bounds of the i'm
mediate neighborhood Of their dwell
ings.
1T is public tolerance of and tacit
acquiescence in the lax and non-en-
forcement of the law and the violation
of their provisions with impunity that
are in large part responsible for the
crimes of bribery, blackmail and eXtor-
ton involved in these sales of indul-
| gences and the corruption of those who
| control the machinery for the punish
ment of criminal offenses.
1.-THE experience of these cities also
indicates how readily the bribe-taker
becomes a bribe-giver, seeking prefer
ment and advancement through the
corrupt expenditure Of money and so
extending the lines of corruption and
debauchery among those charged with
the administration of the criminal law.
Lack of general public resentment
at the failure to enforce these laws
generally and effectively and he re-
sulting sale, by those entrusted with
their execution, of the special priv
ilege of violating their provisions with
impunity combine to create a body of
yiolators of the law who feel the me-
cessity of perpetuating paid protection,
"This necessity. carries them into the
struggle for the control of the ma
chinery of political parties, the govern
ment of city, county and State, n
particularly of those departments which
control the machinery for the detec-
ton, prevention and punishment of
crime.
1.-THE men entrusted with the pre-
vention and suppression of crime are
more or less dependent upon the favor
of these political guides for preferment
and promotion. As o body, they are
honest and loyal servants, as well as
brave. All of them, however, are fully
aware of the tolerant state of public
sentiment concerning violations of
these laws, and know well that the po-
litical party in power is not anxious to
have a vigorous enforcement of these
laws at their hands, because such en-
forcement Is apt to be d~isturbive, IL
not destructive. of political futures
1.-THE conditions pointed out strike
at the foundation of the State. To
meet these conditions a general public
sentiment demanding the uniform and
effective execution of these laws must
be created and manifested; a general
public sentiment resenting. and intol-
Grant of, the lax or non-enforcement
thereof.
Failing his it were better to repeal
these laws and leave the ends sought
to be gained thereby to be accom-
plished by moral means, in order that
their non-execution and the evil con-
sequences connected Herewith may not
impair the general regard n rever-
ence for the law