Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-13

DeS MotneS. NOV. ID I pe-4 1--S
of the writer there is large group
photograph OF ten stalwart men, around
which picture there is story with
moral OF plain application today.
The picture is dated 1889 and with
this printed inscription: "Constaoles'
The Des MONIES Searchers and Advance
Guard OF the Fighting Prohibition
Army" Their names are given. Some
of the names are even Yet famiiiar'
especiauy so 10 all VINO were in public
life IN Iowa twenty-five 10 thirty years
ago.
The picture was not taken as group
for the rogues gallery. as some might
infer The inscription shows 1t was
taken because these men were proud OF
the work In which they were engaged.
Theye were determined. resolute men.
men of good purposes in the main, OF
clean lives and Of families they loved
They were elected constables by earnest
christian temperance votes in various
townships included wholly or IN part
within the city of Des Moines IheJ
were commissioned to enforce prohie-
itton." They believed 1t was their duty
to do so. in the face of an overwheim'
ing opposition which then existed in the
CITY. Several of the men came from
towns out in the state and got into the
game from deep conviction that IT
was right and necessary. One was
war veteran. One was a co!ored man.
And they did effective work in making
searches for liquors, In finding intoxi-
cants kept for illegal sale, in securing
condemnation of such stuff and in the
prosecution of offenders.
Yet, as a matter of fact, the time
came when a governor of Iowa, in is
suing parole from the state peniten-
tiary TO one OF these men. who had
been railroaded 10 prison for alleged
perjury committed when he was de-
ifending himself from prosecution in an
other case, made it a part Of the order
! of Communication and a condition OF the
/ release. as follows:
| Upon the express condition that he
| shall never again in this state engage
! in the business commonly known as
| that Of searcher-'
| See pardon report Of Jackson, 1894.
/ Whatever may have been the good
motives of the advance guard of the
! fighting prohibition army OF 1877
what they did brought about feel
ing as to their work that sustained
a governor in officially branding ii as
contrary 10 public policy. All that they
did was 70 make war on bootlegslns
and Illegal traffic in liquors. And they
made that war effectively. considerins
other conditions; tho on the whole ii
was Impossible to have won then.
The real trouble with that band OF
l.x 49,,
at least gradually changed their view
point as to their own work and pur-
poses. Every one started out to enforce
law But public sentiment In Des
Moines was against them. They die
. not receive support where it was ex
Ipected. They soon felt themselves Il
be alone and helpless. But they aist
discovered that it was a way to max
, a living. The searching game coult
be worked for profit, and it was 81
worked by them. Before the fnisl
some of the men were sticking to tn
, work solely for what money they coul'
. get out of it in fees collected from
: the county. Not all of them becam
. mercenary, and those who did so grad
ually drifted into it that it would no
: have been possible to note the change
The writer was personally, and al
J, most intimately acquainted with ever
y one of the ten, and others who worke
: with them, and believed then and be
h lieyes now that they all started GU
n with the very best of motives and wer
. sincerely DESTROYS of better enforce
O ment Of laws. But they were not me
d of strdng character.
1t was during this period that tn
n people OF Des Aioines elected g sheri
: who was not in sympathy with the pro
J. hibitory law and who gave no aid t
: its enforcement. On one occasion tn
s writer met a prominent east side busl
o mess man, who had run saloon, br
g who had been convicted and sent
It Jail for illegal sales Of liquor. He we
q walking toward his home late at nigh
why. thought you was in Jail serv
ing out a sentence" said the reporter.
20, am" he replied, "but have
little business to attend to and II
: sheriff told me to go and look after it
8 That was in line with many otht
e similar incidents, and the only sis
!. nificance now is that public sentimel
: supported it and there was no state n