Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1909-02-11

" AANAA N~tN W - ANRAORSAb0tANC Vi
the Ledger Friday. Mr.. Can't very
warmly denounced the action OF the
city in their recent arrest Of Grand
Jury witnesses and the allowing to
go free and untouched by the unman-
toured hands of the city government
He stated the matter was one be-
tween the people and the State and
the City government, dramshops and
City Marshal. His interview in full
follows:
THE City council may as well
attempt to enforce an ordinance pro
hibiting small boys from eating green
apples in May as that which makes
It misdemeanor for minors to buy
liquor in saloons. The dramshop sit
uation in this city is ludicrous and
|hypocritical. have little doubt In
my own mind that the city ordinance
making the buying of liquor in sa-
looms by minors an offease is in
valid and from the opinions that |
have heard expressed by other mem
bers Of the local bar | am not alone
in this. In fact there is certain
doubt in the minds of the city au-
thorlties themselves as to its valid
|ity.
when a certain Mexico paper
stated that this law was for the pro
lection OF the dramshop keeper it
never made more truthful statement.
The ordinance is Inconsistent with
the State statues, interferes with the
enforcement Of the State laws pro-
hibiting dramshops from selling in
toxicatlng liquor to minors and IS
absolutely absurd.
Marshal Kemp was furnished the
names of the youths who testified
before the Grand Jury by the saloon
keepers and arrested them upon af-
fidayIts sworn to by himself. Why
did he not arrest the saloon keep
ers for selling them the liquor?
The fact is these boys we're ar
rested for telling the truth before the
Grand Jury. Mr.. Cullen and | have
informed Judge Williams, Of the city
court. to notify us when he has SINH
lar offenders, If they be such, and
we will gladly defend them.
81 ask you as representative of
a conservative paper seeking the en-
forcement Of all laws, to take a week
of your time and attempt to learn
when in the past Marshal Kemp ever
arrested any minors for purchasing
liquor in saloons and why he doesn't
do so now, and why doesn't he ar
rest the saloons for selling to them
In these specific cases.
"The ordinance has been on the
city statute books since July, 1908.
and is at present hanging framed on
the walls Of several Of our saloons.
ut Is time that the citizens de-
mand justice. Is the city government
to be dictated by dramshop keepers?
Are the State laws to be laughed at
and made light Of in this manner?
Are the saloons to be accorded pro-
lection on one hand and offenses
Overlooked upon the other?
"These boys, both black and white,
who went before the Grand Jury and
told the truth are to be commended.
Their arrest under the city ordinance
is an outrage. II the present situ-
alton concerning dramshops continues
in this city it remains to be seen
whether the joke is on the people
and the State or on the city council,
dramshop keepers and City Marshal.
The assertion, in another paper con
cerning the ordinance, is as follows:
This is the first time since the
ordinance was introduced that 1t has
been enforced. The object of the or
dinance was to protect dramshor
keepers by keeping minors out of, the
saloons.
ut lis a difficult matter sometimes
to determine the age of man who
steps up to the bar and orders
drink and it was thought that by NAL
ling the law regarding minors retro
4 =
active, there would be less violations
of the law.
. "The defendants in the above cases
,, pleaded guilty to having purchased
! Iinuor from local dramshops,"