Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-01-03
GOVERNOR sucHTEL's PROCLAIM.
ALTON TO DISTRICT ATToR.
News AND PEACE OFFICERS.
SUPPRESSION OF VICE
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY PRO.
cEEo AGAINST GAMBLING AND
ILLEGAL LIQUOR SELLING.


rece&iy expounded by Judge Allen OF
ne District Court In the food trust
prosecution. Governor Buehtei an
nounccs In proclamation that he
has arranged with Attorney General
Dickson To have vioiators OF the state
laws against gambling and forbidden
y lQuor traific prosecuted by the atior.
general In counties where the or.
dtuary pace officers arc charged by
reputable Witnesses with neglect OF
their duty.
Governor Buchtei's proclamation is
as follows:
State House. Denver. Colo.
tfta 81 Dec. rs. 1907.
To the District Attorneys and Peace
On1cors Of tho State Of Colorado
0rceiing:
The statutes OF Colorado place Ger.
tain specific duties In the hands OF
district attorneys and peace officers.
Thcss oilicorx are elected by the p-o-
pie To execute the laws aud keep tho
peace. For the most part the dis
irict attorneys and poac. officers of
Colorado are doing quite their whole
duty. II is conceded by those who
hnvc been for a long time familiar
with moral conditions In this state
that the laws arc now better executed
than ever before In our history. This
In exactly what We ought TO expect.
Two years frum this time. In the mid
die Of the term OF once OF my sue
ccssor. We ought to be able To say
aEniu that the laws mr.. better exc
cutcd than ever before. The Who'll"
struggle Of civilization is an effort TO
bring mon to IN. point where they
will Oudurc the stimulus of high mo-
tives. In frontier communities cor.
inin common vices nrc at first toicr.
atcd openly. In process OF time they
arc restricted. and yet tolerated. In
the bost communities they are uiti.
ccutions follow whcnsocvcr the law
Ii violated.
''Thc most bitter opposition is al.
why's directed against the efforts of
tho peace officers who set themselves
to the task OF executing the laws.
when these officers perform their du.
tics they aro nssaiicd by the whole
tribO OF law brcakcrs-saloon men.
>pamblcrs. prize fighters. hariots and the
men who rcnt buildings for immoral
purposes. Seldom do district attor.
neys md peace ofiiccrs receive any
words OF announcement from the law
keeping people. because these people
.lo not appear to think II necessary to
speak a word Of approval TO faithful
officers. SO wish to praise the brave
men In offlcc who have done their
duty In tho face OF nll manner of hos.
tility. In many localities In Colorado
there is now no open gambling and
no prize fighting
Ever since I have been in ONCE rs
governor I have been consulting able
lawyers about my authority to secure
the execution OF tho laws against
these common vices In which young
men md 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. have also secured
opinions from those who were insin.
cere; from men who desired to en-.
barrass me in aid OF the political am.
billions Of insincerc 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
tho people"
Tho governor here discusses the au.
thorfty possessed by n state executive
and quotes from the report Of n grand
Jury ut Joplin. Missouri. He goes on
to say:
After long searching We have at
last found n 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
Yeeen required by the governor to go
2lito o 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 statutess
to enable him to proceed to dissolve
the food trust. instantly issued the
necessary order. At once 1t occurred
to me that We might proceed In the
same way against such common forms
of vioe as gambling and Illegal liquor
selling, Notwithstanding the fact that
this is the duty OF district attorneys
and peace officers. therefore ad-
dressed r. 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 tha. he will gladly undertake
such Isgal 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 VIII
he assai1ed now by 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.
II 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