The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-25
MILLER MAKES
MORE THREATS
ATTORNEY GENERAL TELLS MIN
NEAPoLIs NEWSPAPER THAT
he IS GOING TO DO BUSINESS
sooN-"ANpY" TAKES RAP AT
SHERIFF McGlLLIs.

SHERIFF McGILLIS.
The following article written for The
Minneapolis Journal. by that papers
political correspondent, c. B. CLANCY,
and published under a Bismarck date
line I'm Monday evenings Journal, win
be OF interest to residents of North
Dakota, for the attorney general in
forms Mr.. CLANCY that he viii take
some legal action against sheriffs of
counties where violations Of the pro-
hibition law are most fragrant:
4 Sheriffs of several counties in North
Dakota are promised special attention
| in a short time by Attorney General
Miller, who is the Nemesis OF the IL
legal trade in this state Discussing
law enforcement with The Journal rep
preventative. Mr.. Miller announced
that he would move In short time
/ against the sheriffs of counties where
violations of the law are most f1agrant.
The state legal department has been
crowded with other work since / took
hold the first of the year." said Mr..
Miller, but / will take some active
steps very soon to stop violations If
1 the law in the few bad spots of the
state. At present have but one as
sistant, but the legislature has provid-
/ ed another for me, who will begin work
July /, and then will have more time
to organize the special work of enforc-
! ing the liquor laws. I am arranging
now for the appointment of special as
sistants in several counties, where the
local authorities are neglecting to act
Prohibits, Except in Spots.
''Does prohibition prohibit in North
Dakota now? Well, prohibition is a
relative term. There is no question
about the wisdom of the law and the
possibility of its reasonable enforce
ment, except in spots where the off,
cials themselves are in sympathy with
violators of the law, or even interested
in the business. suppose the worst
spot in the state is right here is Bis
marck where Sheriff D. ]. McGillis ut
terly fails or refuses to stop the ille-
| gal trade and where the blind piggers
pay no attention to injunctions. Dick
inson is in good shape now, and that
section in general, and conditions in
the state as a whole are 100 per cent
better than they were two years ago.
Outside of Burleigh, the worst counties
in the state are Logan, Mcintosh Ro-
lette and Cavalier, and / am effecting
organizations in each of these counties
by the appointment Of special assist
ants After July l will be able to
give them more personal attention. The
great difficulty is to find competent
men who are willing to do this work
, I'VE are badly crippled by the inde-
pendence of sheriffs. Our law does not
give the governor power to remove a
sheriff for malfeasance or nonfeasance
He can only be removed from Office by
the court, and after a jury trial. 1t Is
extremely hard to get a jury that will
I oust a sheriff. especially in counties
: where the law enforcement sentiment
is weak. Nevertheless, I am going tC
attempt it, and except to start proceed
ings against several sheriffs, and use
Y every method that the present machin.
I cry of the law affords to bring about
= enforcement Of the law"
New Laws to Be Helpful.
: Attorney General Miller believes
$ that new state and federal Legislation
will be of considerable value in max.
t ing his campaign effective. I'VE have
Q state laws going into effect July L.
: he said, prohibiting persons from so.
b Iiciting orders for liquor in the state
0 and also prohibiting the newspapers
: from running liquor advertisements.
Il Another new law is Of more practica
: Importance than either of those
o provides for an examination by tht
t state food commissioner of all brands
t of liquor sold in the stats. Before any
liquors are sold in the state samples
e must be submitted to Professor Ladd
and they must stand given test foi
purity. This will put it in possession
: of the names of all manufacturers anS
t dealers dong business in the state, will
n assist in locating those engaged in tn,
trade and help us to get evidence.
h ''The new federal law which is effec
/, tive Jan. 1, 1910, will be of great hell
e in our work 1t prohibits all CO. d
t shipments into territory where Iiquo
e selling is prohibited, and further re
d quires that all shipments of liquo
e shall be marked plainly on the packag,
showing the amount and kind of liquo
d and to whom 1t is consigned Tha
: will make 1t easy to locate person,
9 who are receiving liquor shipments ii
d quantities too large for home use, ant
y they can easily be checkmated. TIL,
!, express package with the blind labe
t on it is the most common way OF sup
Iplying the blind pig trade"
There is good deal of dfsrespect fo
: the prohibition law in Bismarck, ant
the attorney general is not as popula.
! in his home town as in some othe
: sections of the state. He was electet
!, on his record as an assistant attorne.
! general, after several successful prose
! cutions of liquor dealers. Enforce
: ment means hard fighting all the time
4 especially in the western section of tn
i state. The railroad construction camp
i running out in both directions from
{ Mandan will make some work for tn
I officials this summer The profession
i al blind piggers are expecting to real
4 a big harvest from the armies Of rail
! road laborers.