The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-01-23
Prominent Men of City Declare
Only Just and Reasonable
Laws Can Be Enforced
PUBLIC OPINION MUST BACK
Speakers at Meeting Under Auspices
of Civic Federation Urge Edu-
cationa1 Campaign Rather
Than Petty Court Suits

A new keynote Of reform was sound
ed at the mass meeting held under the
auspices Of the Kenosha Civic Fedora
ton at the auditorium Of the Y. NJ. G..
A., Thursday evening, when prominent
lawyers and laymen Of the city dis
cussed the problem Of law enforcement
and declared that the way to get the
laws enforced was to get the laws
reasonable and just, and that then and
only then would it be possible to get
a complete enforcement Of the laws
The meeting was attended by crowd
Of nearly hundred people, and the
| speakers included E. L. Grant, Judge
Joseph r. Clarkson, James Cavanagh,
and several Of the active workers in
the Federation. The addresses Of all
the men were along the same line and
| all urged the necessity of having a
healthy public sentiment behind any
law before it's enforcement could be
secured.
E. L. Grant was the first speaker,
and he talked in very plain language
Of the abuse Of powers in the state
and city. He criticised the legislature
| for the laws that had been enacted and
declared that the first reform needed
was to send capable men to the state
Legislature in order to get the passage
Of laws which would be reasonable
and just to all. He spoke of conditions
in Kenosha in former times, when off
cials would not be anxious to aid in
| the enforcement of the laws, and asked
1.-THE Federation and it's friends if these
conditions exist today He spoke of
the difficulty Of getting the laws en-
forced in Justice S courts, and declared
| that this was one Of the most discourag
| ing things to men who would engage
n the work of reform He declared
that the law that was enforcible was
the lcT Used on the habit and custom
Of the community, and urged that the
public sentiment be awakened in Ke
nosha so that the public trusts would
be entrusted to men of character, not
to men who seemed to be all right, but
to men that were known to be all
right He declared that the problem
of purifying the legislative and exc
cutive powers of the state and city
! might be a task greater than the
cleaning of the Augean stables, but he
declared that it could be done if the
great number of men interested in re-
form would keep up the agitation until
thi public sentiment would make
clean sweep Of the present conditions.
Judge Clarkson, the next speaker,
touched on the question of Sunday
observance and he declared that the
Wisconsin law in this regard was almost
impossible of enforcement. He declar-
| ed against the nonsensical, miserable
little laws that had been placed on
| the statute books and declared that
the law that could be and would be
| enforced was the law that was founded
on reason and justice, and representing
the real sentiment Of the community.
He declared that the squirming out
of the little points of these laws in
the Justice courts had made them prac-
tically nullity In closing, Judge
Clarkson said that it was the duty Of
all good citizens to demand honest ad-
ministrations, honest officials. He urg-
ed the members Of the Federation to
stand for principles and that in the
end the reforms which they sought
would certainly be accomplished.
James Cavanagh raised little ripple
| of excitement when he criticised the
work of the Federation and declared
that he recognized the fact that the
Federation was unpopular largely be-
cause it had sought to force neglectful
officials to do their sworn duty. He
| said that the sentiment in favor Of
the enforcement of the law was prac-
tically unanimous but that the people
had not as yet come to properly under
| stand the law. He criticised the Fe-
deration for it's action in making petty
prosecutions instead of going to the
work Of nursing q public sentiment in
favor Of the proper enforcement of
law, and urged the members to use
justice and wisdom in dealing with the
question at issue, if they sought to
secure the support Of the great masses
of the people. He declared that public
sentiment directed in the right direc-
ton would force verdicts from unwill-
| ing justices and juries, and that it
would be only a matter Of time when
, the microbe of immortality would be
killed.
| A pleasing feature of the evening
| was music furnished by a sextette
| made up from the members Of the
Federation.