The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-18

with the present law, and if there is
any to repeal the present law, I be-
lleve We should push for the adoption
or the Kansas plan, which takes COM
pletely OF Of the hands Of the drug
g1st the sale Of Intoxicating liquor or
It's use except in preparing tinctures.
During the encampment of the
North Dakota National Guard at Dew
lis Lake last summer, complaint came
to our office that intoxicating liquor
was being sold and used in large
quantities by the soldiers. Later I
conducted an Investigation and some
Oh the militia were s~ubpoenaed and
the evidence from competent Witness
es showed that a regular canteen was
maintained on the grounds and that
large amounts Of liquor were shipped
in the names of the officers and trans
ported by dray to said camp and sold
In violation of the law Of North Dako-
"a and the ~anti-canteen law Of the
United States. / submitted the evil
dence gathered with records Of freight
shipments to the governor of North
Dakota, but am not apprised as to
what action, If any. a been taken in
the matter. There. was much COM
plant that young men coming from
sober and drinking homes were
subject to temptations to drink. 1t
appears to me that an institution
maintained on state expense and
maintained to keep the peace and back
UP the authority of the state should
not Itself be unlaw-abiding. It is not
a sufficient excuse to say that if the
canteen is not used, b~ootleggers will
Infest the camp and get the profits.
The laws made by the state and the
nation should be observed. It is not
the junction OF the militia, or of n
officer of the law, to nullify law; it is
their duty to enforce the law and it Is
puerile and an admission Of official
weakness and of official incompetency
to say that in North Dakota this, mat.
ter cannot be COPIED with. and that the
government Of the militia while in
camp cannot maintain both the letter
or North Dakota law and the .nubuc
spirit Of this great commonwealth.
The attitude Of political parties in
North Dakota Is unique, for every
party and every faction Of every oar
ty endorsed the prohibition law and
resolved for its enforcement. The
North Dakota Enforcement league,
regardless of party or faction should
stand for the election Of good, clean
men who are avowedly for the law and
It's enforcement. Prohibition, we be-
!leve, is settled as a state issue, but
1t is now a national issue and 1t would
be a disgrace to North Dakota to
nave a representative in either branch
of congress who would not be- n
siVe for national prohibition. We
urge that at the primaries Of 1914, and
at the faL election, great care be TAX
en- Dy voters to see to!it that no one
be elected states attorney, or sheriff
who Is not avowedly In favor OF the
enforcement Of the laws relating to
the moral welfare and that there be
special diligence in selecting mayors
police constables, and justices Of the
peace who will not be in sympathy
with the lawless element Our sys-
tenn or administration Of law is 6. good
one, u it has fallen down because OF
a low ideal Of official duty. 7 under
take to say that there have been more
mayors, police officials and sheriffs in
North Dakota who have been in SYM
pathy with the lawless element sufi-
GENTLY to almost entirely neglect their
duty In this line than those who have
given any a aggressive aid to the
enforcement of these laws. These If
hc1als have not been wholly to blame.
It was an attitude of the public mind
made up on the n hand by a posi-
lively lawless element who thrived on
official negligence and who sought to
office, and on the other hand by q
better element who failed to assert
their citizenship for better things.
One, or q very few men in a commun-
ity, can demand the enforcement OF
the law, and the lawless element can
not maintain there. Tho constant
agitation for law enforcement, the
breaking of the grip OF the lawless
element all over the state, the pas
sage of the removal law, the aefeat
Of candidates who had not done their
official duty, the constantly rising tide
Of sentiment for the law and Its en-
forcement are rapidly changing this
condition and I believe ere long 1t
viii be the rule all over the state to
enforce the law. II one does not be-
lieve in the laws. and does not In
tend to enforce them, he should not
seek the Office, or should resign Il an
official. He who seeks or occupies an
Office OF trust, takes the sacred oati,
and refuses or negIects TO perform his
duty, purges his own life and lis a
traitor. to his country, and one who
nay. do more harm To his country
+sa-Ss&H&G- ~EEs $500