The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-30
THE DETECTIVE, A HELP OR
HINDRANCE IN THE ENFORCE
ssE.NT OF THE PtsOIfIBfITON
LAW:

ILSN:
To the Editor: Today among the
citizens Of this State, 1t is a mooteG
question as to whether the detective
employed by individuals is a help or
a hindEance to the enforcement OF
the prohibition law. Having had some
experience and much observation on
this point in the last three years, !
have cached pronounced convictions
and feel that | must give them to
our temperance workers over the
State.
have no to discourage the
use of detectives when employed by
the city, county or State government;
in fact [ believe that if any munich
pality or county finds that the regu-
lar executive force is not sufficient to
enforce the prohibition law or n
other law. that it is the business OF
tina government to employ the serv-
ices of detectives or to institute some
other method to aid the prevailing
method, whereby the viOlators Of all
laws may be a~pprehended. The fact
that we have an executive branch Of
government carries with it the duty
of executing law and this is the sole
official trust of officers in their eXecu-
tive function. / believe that any
movement on the part of a few citi-
Gems 10 relieve them of the RESPONSE
bility that their oath Of Office has
placed upon them or that even has a
tendency to relieve them Of such re-
sponsibility, in the long run, viii him
der rather than help the execution of
law.
Therefore my conviction is that it
is an unWise policy for a few citizens
in any locality to undertake the execu-
ton of our prohibition laws apart from
the local officers and administration.
On the surface this plan seems at
times to bring good results, but We fail
to note the bad results brought as
well. In the first place, When the cit
liens employ outside force, the regular
officers and executive administrators
feel that they are largely excused by
the people from doing what their oath
of office pledges them to. and if they
are not disposed to do their duty, they
will be only too glad to shift this re
sponsibility. In the second place,
when detectives are employed by in
dividuals. their evidence is not re-
spected by the courts and jurors as
it is when the detectives are mp1oy-
ed by the administration and paid
with the peoples money. In the first
place, he is the agent of one or more
individuals, in the second place, he is
an authorized officer Of the munich
pality or county and every court will
give more heed to his evidence.
Again, when individuals employ de-
tectives to ferret out liquor lawless-
ness, the officers afterwards, When
there is liquor lawlessness, will play
hands off and wait for the individ-
uals to again employ detectives. While
the liquor seller or manufacturer
knows that this detective is not con-
stantly on the ground, and if one has
been at work in August, he will not
likely be working in the same COM
munity for the next five or six months.
'IhaXy rn IN 4ho ryo Fo- u
tectives. but are not afraid of the off,
GERS. On the other hand, when the
of1icers are Vig1lant and faithful, the
WOuid-be liquor violator is always
afraid because he knows that the reg
uiar officer IS on the ground. with
eyes ana ears open, all the time.
NY experience III using detectives
has not been altogether satisfactory
and my observation of the way some
.Furles have treated their evidence is
altogether unsatisfactory. l have OBJ
served further that those communi-
ties IN North Carolina that put the
responsibility upon the officers. and
do not use detectives. except as the
administration uses them have the
pest conditions prevailing, and are the
frcest from liquor manufacturing and
liquor selling.
On the ether hand, we have cases
IN our state where the citizens have
mace up large purses, emp1oyed de-
tec'lVes and lawyers, apart from the
locai government, to execute the
law. and their conditions are bad,
possibly no better than they would
nave been had not the detective hean !
used. Having viewed this question
ron every standpoint, I have con-
uaotu mat the detective employed by
ne ihalv1dual and paid by just a few
IS a hlndrance rather than q baIn in
the execution Of our law MP -
ons might ask then, what is the
fehuas when the officers do not stand
cit5zanS 1of3ement Of the law,and the
.luNeHs are like officerse AS Tsea If
Ine only remedy for such = andi+;a
- agi.ation and education. I can vepu
readiiy conceive Of a tr,,a teas
e eaino for license. but 1 can not cnn
1awlessne ans true citizen standing for
people are nei4eve that when our