Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-06-23
IOWA WILL Be DRY
IN FACT UNDER new LAW
Little Chance For New Temperance
Laws to be Made Farcical.
BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
NEW AND OLD LAWS
Duty of Peace Officers to See That
Statutes Are Not Violated.

CCS -'4OAISo, hdy
let of thirty pages soon to be is
sued from the office of the attorney
general will be in great demand af-
ter July 1st, as it will embody the
new Iowa laws in regard to temper
ance matters and much other infor-
nation related to the subject. The
complication was by Henry Z. Samp-
son, assistant attorney general.
A feature of the pamphlet that is
conspicuous when it is fully analyz-
ed is a showing which will dispel
that doubt which is said to exis. in
the minds of many persons that
there will be any better enforcement
of the laws as to temperance mat
tiers than in the former period of
attempted prohibition. The pamph-
let, by brin ging into the strong light
the essential phases of Iowa law as
they will exist, makes it clear there
will be vast difference between the
situation next year and what it was
twenty-five years ago. That differ
ence is chiefly in the fact that
whereas formerly the matter of law
enforcement was left pretty much
to private action and individual in
itiative, now it is imposed upon law
officers with such directness thai
evasion is hardly possible
For instance, there is the law Civ
ing the attorney general supervisory
authority over all law enforcing Of
ficers, the new law imposing certain
duties on the sheriff and on the
county attorney, and the general
statute making it the special duty
of every peace officer to specifically
enforce these prohibitory measures
and punishment as a misdemeanor if
it is not done. All this is new to
the law since the former period. The
county attorney may call upon any
peace officer anywhere in the county
to investigate and make report in
writing as to any suspicious matter.
Then there is the law which requires
the county attorney to call upon the
federal officials every so often for
list Of names of persons holding fed
eTal liquor licenses and these are
e. u.
kept on file open to the public. Then
very. important, will be the further
publicity that is given by the new
law to require carriers to keep on
file a complete record of shipments
with certificate of each person re-
ceipting for liquors that the same
is for his personal use. These laws
all make it easier to enforce prohi-
bition and harder to evade the law.
In addition to these new and old
laws, there is the new one providing
for special agents who may be sent
by the executive or legal officials of
the state into any part of the state
for special investigation and to see
the local officials are per-
forming the duties imposed on them
by law. Along with this is the re-
moval law which is virtual COM
mand to every peace officer of the
state, whether in dry or wet terri
tory to be vigilant in the enforce
ment of the prohibitory laws as well
rs all others.
Now in the period from 1884,
when the prohibitory law was enact
ed, until 1894, when the mulct law
was adopted, when there was the
greatest chaos and turmoil because
Of the impossibility of enforcement
Of a law that was distasteful to a
large part Of the population, very
few of these agencies existed for en-
Public officials had no
specific duty. 1t was all left to in
dividuals. The only incentive to any
public official to engage in law en-
forcement was what he could get
out of it in fees. Even the COVER
nor had no authority in the matter.
The county attorneys and the attor-
ney general had nothing to do with
The sheriffs could OBJ
struct enforcement with impunity.
1T seems to me-" said Mr.. Samp-
son, as he finished reading proof
on the pamphlet, that in view Of
the very many important changes
made in the laws of the state since
Iowa tried out prohibition once be-
fore, that at least we may expect
very different situation to arise un-
der enforcement now"
The pamphlet just compiled and
printed includes the prohibitory
as mas been stated be-
fore, also the Webb-Kenyon federal
law, the ''redlight" injunction law
and the special agents law.
There is an explanation, that will
he appreciated, of the discrepancy in
the laws as to second offenders, the