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

The report of Supt. F. L. Watkins
of the North Dakota Enforcement
league in the state during the last
year was e by him his morning
before the convention of the league
at the First Baptist church. In de-
tail MI. Watkins report follows:
1T Is a matter becoming we'll
established in legislation and sustain
ed by the courts, that all things that
are for the public good should main
tain, and can maintain in law, that it
is the function Of the state to ascer-
tain what Is for the public good Of
the whole public and claimed by law
for the public that thing. In his day
that conception is reaching out as
wide as human need, both individual
and public, and is being applied. 1t
relates to education, the control Of
disease, the regulation or prohibition
Of those things that the public may
consider a menac to it's physical,
mental Or moral safety, the growing
of grain, the raising Of stock, public
amusements, trusts and combinations,
n in fact everything that has to do
with public need.
1.-THE old idea has passed that the
people exist for the state, and that the
states interests are paramount. The
old idea Is passing that the state ex-
lists for the few, INC to be controlled
by the few in their own interests. The
new idea has come that the state ex-
lists for he people and that the mis-
sion Of the state Is to work out the
common good Of the whole people. 1t
is considered as reasonable in North
Dakota to protect boys and girls from
moral i'll as it Is to protect grain from
gophers or from rust, or lambs and
turkey from coyotes, stock from
cholera, black-leg or CHAMBERS, or
humankind from contagious disease.
BY placing in her constitution and
statute the prohibition, bawdyhouse,
gambling, snuff, cigarette, eugenics,
marriage, pool hall and other laws,
North Dakota has placed herself in
the forefront Of progressive states so
far as relates to the public good.
undertake to say that the strict en-
forcenent Of these laws during the
next twenty-five years will tell in a
large way upon the people and bring
great uplift, physically, mentally and
morally.
"The North Dakota Enforcement
league though In no sense holding an
official relation has come to be looked
upon as a part of the law enforcement
machinery OF the state. Not only do
citizens in all parts of the state SEND
their complaints to the Office. but the
governor, the attorney general and
many states attorneys refer com
plants from their respective districts
to the league Office, thus without direct
official relation and authority and
without any financial support from the
state, the league has gained recogni-
tion as an effective organization for
the enforcement Of 1aw.
while the primary purpose Of the
league was to foster and enforce the
prohibition law, it has ~broadened out
to cover the enforcement Of the
baWdyhouse and gambling laws and
ultimately must include those laws
that relate directly to the moral well
fare, such as the cigarette, snuff and
white slavery laws and those relating
to minors frequenting pool halls. !
do not think 1t best for the organiza-
ton to broaden it's effort too much,
but all of the above are so closely
allied that, to enforce the one helps
to enforce the other. With these laws
enforced there can be no large Iawless
element within the state of North Da-
kota.
IA conservative estimate would put