Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-23
CITY ADMlNlSTRA
TON NEVER DID ENFORCE
THE LAWS.

The declaration in the democratic
platform that the democratic party
in Ottumwa advocates the strict en-
forcement Of the laws is such an ab-
surdity and so wholly inconsistent that
it would be laughable at any other
time than during campaign OF sucn
serious Importance to the people OF
this city.
The first thought that will come to
every citizen who is old enough to
read the newspapers is why, II the
democratic platform favors the en-
forcement of the law. the democratic
party has not enforced the law in the
past two years? Why is 1t not enforc-
ing the law right now?
There is hardly day passes but
some of the constables make RAID
on the bootleggers and seize quanti-
ties of liquor that is being sold illegal
ly. Since the saloons have been closed
the democratic city administration has
not caused the conviction OF single
bootlegger, nor the confiscatlon OF a
drop of liquor. Is it because the dem
pcratic. police force Is incompe.
tent and unable to apprehend
the bootleggers? This does not
seem likely when the mem
hers of the Law and Order league
and the constables easily find fla
grant violations of the law. 1t is sim
nly another evidence of the demo-
cratic practice of winking at law VIC
lations and immortality, practice
that has become habit from years of
Indulgence.
The democratic platform declares
Tor law enforcement. but the demo-
cratic party for the last two years has
permitted and is permitting right at
This time the most fragrant violations
of the law. It is we'll known that all
the trouble brought upon the saloon
people of Ottumwa was caused by the
disregard of the law, permitted, if not
sanctioned, by the administration. II
the efforts of the outside saloon in.
terests who came to Ottumwa and de-
manded that the Ottumwa saloonkeep-
ers comply with the law had not been
completely nullifed by the policy Of
The administration of permitting some
saloon keepers to totally disregard
the law as to early and Sunday clos
Ing, the saloon keepers would not have
found themselves out Of business as
they are today. The wide open town
with it's attending evils reused public
opinion to the pitch where it struck
and struck hard.
The continuous record of the Re-
publican administrations in Ottumwa
has been a record of achievement and
law enforcement When H. l.. Water
was elected mayor by the Republi.
cans, Madame Lottie and her Ferry
house, with it's inmates, were driven
out. When Madison was elected mayor
by the Democrats they returned.
When B. F. SHUTS was elected mayor
by the Republicans the James sisters
and other notorious characters who
openly Haunted their vice in the face
of the citizens, were driven out OF
town and scattered to the four winds.
The James sisters got so far away
they did not come back, but great
many Of the others were back in OF
tumwa as soon as the announcement
went out that Tom Phillips was elect
ed.
The closing of the saloons and the
prosecution of the gamblers, not by
the democratic administration, but by
an aroused citizenship. put tempo
rary stop to the activities of these
parties But let the announcement GO
out on March 80 that Tom Phil.
lips has been reelected. and they will
all come back and with them the
gamblers and prostitutes that are be.
Ing driven out Of Peoria. Springfield
and other Illinois cities which are now
undergoing a moral awakening.
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