Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1911-03-10
OUR STAND.

We have below certain facts and the
truth of certain matters to lay before
the people of this district. The dis
trict judge of this district has just
been impeached for drunkenness, cor
rupt conduct, malfeasance and
misdemeanors in Office. A por-
ton of the evidence upon which that
impeachment was forced has been
made public. Not one hundredth part
OF the real truth, not one fraction of
the real rottenness has been brought
out but sufficient has been shown to
compel an Impeachment against all
the arts and wiles and threats of
Judge Cowan and his friends. An op-
en- trial at Bismarck before the bar
OF the senate is now set for the latter
part of this month.
The Inter-Ocean for the past year
has taken definite, squaretoed stand
On the conditions existing in Devils
Lake, conditions which have finally
eliminated in the impeachment and
disgrace of the highest judicial officer
in the district A recital of condi-
tions, causes and motives behind this
stand is appropriate at this time.
For some time We have been forced
to see the conditions of law and order
and justice in this community. We
can not avoid it. We have been thrown
daily where such things were in the
making. We found state of affairs
almost unbelievable. We found that
for a long time a system had been
growing up with it's headquarters at
Devils Lake. At the head of the sys-
tenn was Judge John F. Cowan The
system was founded upon the desire
of certain elements to break the law,
especially the prohibition law, with
IMMUNITY, and the willingness Of other
elements to hold political power by
granting this immunity in violation of
the mandates of the law. We found
that there were the blind-pigs, the
respectable places where liquor was
sold illegally, the baWdy-house, the
gambling den, and the like, existing
openly at times, behind closed doors
at other times, but uniformity under q
quiet understanding with officials
charged with enforcing the law. We
found that it was joke to attempt
to convict pigger. The only piggers
convicted were those without friends
or those who fell out with the court
1t became so that the law-breaker:
and even the law-upholders believed
that the law was dead letter, tina
the administration of justice could b.
twisted, thwarted, defeated and mock
ed, at the will Of the lawless ele
ments.
This was net all. A great evil wa
growing up. The respectable bushes
men Of the city came to accept thi
h. condition of things. In their heart
, abhcrring the alliance between ROT
4 ten politics and law breaking, the,
: were nevertheless, bit by bit dragge,
y into the combination and lent /
strength. They had friends among tn
5Iaw-breakers they profted by the leE
{ orous growth which took the none
Il of our men and robbed happiness an
" comfort from scores of our women
Il Our standards became undermined
Our realization of the depth to whicl
81 this system had brought our city be
came dulled. Public sentiment wa
choIoroformed, men looked askance a
/ the man who protested against II
The trouble was that there were to-
4 many connected with the THING ant
I these many goodintentioned blu
weakened citizens gave exactly tn
conditions which allowed the system
20 prosper. ~. .s55I *.
In the end the system WORKING