St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1908-12-18
A LAME DEFENCE.

ticle from A, w. Davis endeavorlng
to juftify his action in turning traitor
to this cause upon which he was
elected to the city council. HIS
logic is as lame as the cause he
espouses, and Is worthy only OF an
ex.saloon keeper. He gives as
reason for changing his coat, that
liauor is being sold In st. Johns IL
legally and In no small quantities
| doubt the truth of the statement
but of course he knows, and knowing
IL, why hasn't he put stop to ltT
That is what he was elected for.
IA, states that beer wagons and
liquor wagons are making deliveries
two or three times a week. Thls IL
the first time | have heard OF this,
and IL true IL brands Mr.. Davis as
negligent, untrue to his oDllgauon
and unfaithful to his constituents. As
councillor, he should have called at
tention to this infraction OF the law
He. or the officers at his command
should have put stop to 1t, for a
man has no more right under our
Local option law to give liquor away
.hon he has to sell II. SO that Davis
ha' ing known Of these violations OF
th, law. and failing to enforce the
law. has violated his oath as a couh
cilor.
Mr.. Davis admits that he Is fully
aware of the fact that the city went
dry by vote In June but II Is not dry
now. and nothing has been done 10
check IL. Then what on earth has
he been about7 Surely all his time hai
not been taken up with the construe'
ton OF that depot on the o. II. ~
track. Dld he not swear to upho'd
the law? He promised 20 stand
faithfully by whatever the people said
by their votes. In June. the city
went dry. Now. ho votes to make IL
wet. Ills excuse is that "the police
department has not found any one
willing TO swear to complaint
against the Offenders. II the police
knew that drinking was carried on
why didn't they swear out com
plant thcmselycs7 That's what they
we're appointed for. And II they diu
not know. Davis should have posted
thom or sworn out complaint MIN
self Why should outsiuers be com
polIcd TO swear out complaints
against the yiolators Of the law wheh
they have paid men TO do this very
thlngY II they fail to ferret out theS,
things and then arrest and punish
them when detected. they should be
discharged instantcr. When Tom
Word was sheriff OF Portland and
knew the law to be violated, he did'
not walt for outsiders to throw them
lives Into the brcach--ho did u him
self. But. Mr.. Davis states positively
that liquor was sold In the city ana
delivered from wagons In st. JohhS'
and he remained as dumb as an oys'
To, and as upcechiess as julius cae'
sar. The officer who is sworn To
enforce the law. and then sleeps ~
hia post endangers the general wei
fare.
hut rather than act. Mr.. JAWS
concluded 10 try his remedy ny
,a..iiLg tho traffic under the Guys
regulations and restrictions. This
1 submit was not his business. las
business was To stand by his pledges
and promises and the platform ana
principles OF tho Good Government
League, for they II was VINO ifS'
called him out as u candidate TOT
civic honors. Tho League declared
against licensing the sale OF liquor
and several other things; but they
declared also that II at the June eiee
tion the citizens voted for license
they would give them n stringent
license law; but II they voted "ury
III, n they would make the city as
d-y as they could make II. All TINS
was fully explained to Mr.. Davis ana
hu thoroughly understood H. ana
promised TO stand by Il. Has ne
lone soY No. he has betrayed MS
rust. and Is. therefore, unworthy oil
public confidence.
Our political philosopher also says
when an evil exists. there shouia
be A remeay". Undoubtedly ana
Davis remedy is TO return TO the H.
cense system-the very thing l''a'
good people have boen ba'''ns
against for years. A"'s remeuy
TOO old. People have come To tue
conclusion that Il is wrong To license
evil. MIR. Davis mas seen ST johns
1 nder a license law, and II was
'Iemedy" wasn't II? Does he re-
member the scenes which took place
In some OF the saloons, too bestlai 10
l,rint and too indelicate even too M.
al, That's what regulation means
md always has meant. But Jersey
stI eet is to be exempt from the curse
- the saloon. why' Are the people
a Jersey street better than those
on other streets? And II the new
of regulation is better than
why deprive Jersey street
" that biessing2 What ever way al
Davis turns he will find a dilemma
rna he can take either horn OF A.
MIR. Davis tries to shield himself
~ Ger the city attorneys opinion
We didn't send Davis there to be In