Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-17
is elected and what he is paid more

is elected and what he is paid more
work and more than any private firm
or corporation would pay him for his
services. Why should he not "appre-
bend and arrest all criminals" and so
far as he may assist justice to secure
the evidence of crimes committed in
his county? who ought to watch crime
and point it out to the county attor-
new more than the man who is being
Maid we'll for his work and who is I'M
der oath to serve the people and en-
force the laws? Why shouldn't he
file an information? In what way Is
he better than the private citizen who
must file information if crime is to he
suppressed. The sheriff is paid for
"taling chances" of personal and politi-
cal injury from criminals. Why should
he not stand between the private indi-
viduaI and crime as the embodiment
of the law in the execution OF law?
Can anyone give better reason than
that offered by the bootlegger, the IL
licit vendor of all classes and the men
who profit by law breaking? What
honesty is in the cry that 1.-THE sheriff
must not be made spy?" Is it spying
for an officer to take cognizance Of
crime, to seek evidence that the law he
has sworn to execute is being violated?
We have had SO much Of this chiid's
play in Iowa that the general citizen
ship is disgusted Such of US as are
not ought to be.
The bill giving the governor the re-
moval power is one needed and Dit
terlv needed. The county attorney who
complains of it's provisions confesses
his weakness 1t is plain business, bus
mess that every farmer and employer
can understand. If the county attorney,
the mayor or any other otficer az
fected by the PROVISIONS of this pro-
posed law either refuses to enforce the
laws or is incompetent. he does not De-
long in office more than the hired man
belongs asleep in the harvest field or
playing pool in town when he fusht
to be blowing corn? We all know the
high grass tactics INDUCED in by many
county prosecutors and officers
who depend for reelection in
elections where the criminal and
semi criminal vote counts man
for man, against that of de-
cency and where the one class casts
its every vote while the ether stays
in the store or the cornfield. What the
Cosson bill is asking is that the Of
ficer who swears to do certain things
must attempt and honestly attempt to
do them, If he refuses and the fact of
refusal is properly established, out ne
goes. If he is utterly incompetent and
the fact of inaompentency is firmly es-
tablished, -he must make way and let
some che run who can. What is wrong
about all this? What is right about
a crooked or incompetent
officer to snap his fingers in the faces
of the electors?
We do not go far wrong on our gov
ernors. Upon them public interest cen
tiers in election fights and we get good
men the best men available. The list
of Iowa governors is with few excep-
lions a list of great men. Why are Ger
tain men and interests so anxious TO
avoid the judicial eye of the average
iowa governor? Isn't the governor OF
Iowa generally to be trusted to be nom
est enough to give an accused officer
a fair trial? And what more than fair
ness can the officer and the people de-
mand. Are we ready to say that we
make laws to be interpreted as mean
ing one thing in one county and mean
ing nothing across an imaginary coun-
ty line?
The legislature should pass these
bills into law. We need them. We have
law enough for the present but we need
a system of enforcement that will en-
force. At present we have an ideal at
torney general under whom to try out
a system, like the one proposed. We
have a governor whose integrity is
above suspicion. The time is ripe FOR
law enforcement. The liquor interests
will do we'll to accept an enforcement
otherwise the demand for
resubmission of the prohibitory amend
ment can not be denied and none are
so dull as to imagine that it would not
carry the state like fire, Today Iowa
prefers enforcement Of, the present
laws to another plunge into prohibition.
If we get it we'll and good. If we do not
lpok out for an explosion.
Tnn;cs Of the Times.