South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-01
WHY NOT GIVE CITY ATTORNEY
SEEBIRT \ CHANCE?

many Of the socalled vice cases re-
Gently instituted on evidence secured
by the administration vice sleuth. and
the very natural self-excusing for il
that halls from the administration
forces BY way OF criticism OF the pros
ecutor's office. suggests that the city
might. having a well-paid city attor-
ney at its command with not so very
much TO do. prosecute the cases itself,
and maybe then. it would be better
satisfied.
II is within the province Of any cit
izen of Indiana. that having a par
ticular interest in a criminal proceed
ing. he may employ counsel to assist
the prosecutors office. and it has hap
pened, where such citizen sees fit to
insist, that after approving Of the is
suing OF the warrants. cases have been
turned over to such special counsel
entirely. We can see no reason why
this should not apply to municipal
ity. Perhaps with City Attorney See
brit, citizen" counsel OF the admin
istration. at the legal helm, a fun
satisfaction could be had, and a pur-
flied atmosphere outside of bulg:ng
jails. would Immediately result
Besides. we anticipate that the city
attorney would enjoy the experiment.
1t would afford him an opportunity
10 show an active hand in the moral
cleaning-up OF the town, for which
he labored 50 assiduOusly as a member
OF the CAB trust" back in those cam
paign days. Having reaped his re-
ward by way OF appointment TO the
city Notwithstanding the emOl-
uments,-there can be no reason un-
der the sun why he should not gladly
lend this helping hand in carrying out
this moral side OF the administration
program. city attOrneyship ought
To carry with Il attendance TO duty
wherever an administration program
is at stake and the full legal status OF
that program needs to be established
in the light of success.
The general publis. we anticipate.
will maintain confidence in the good
faith of the prosecutors office. that
IL is doing the best possible with the
evidence at its command. This conf
dence, we note too, is occasionally
justified by the appearance of Chief
Kerr. OF the police department, with
the assurance that the necessary evil
dence is not at his command, TO COM
pei convictions. Certainly the vice
sleuth must have slipped few cogs.
when the chief OF police is ready to
throw Up the sponge so often. but OF
course, with our citizen" admins
tration it is different when a demo
cratic prosecutors office take the
chiefs advice. There is. indeed,
something wonderful about the way
some minds have of performing.
SO we suggest that the administra-
ton take the whole responsibility. as
Stunning that the prosecutors office
may be willing, and have the cases
taken over by its own lawyer. The
city attorney could. without doubt,
tie all these accused people up in a
knot, and throw them into jail with
out half trying evidence sufficient
TO convict being a secondary consid-
Grafton. 1t would complete the cir
Gle i'm its entirety. Mayor Keller and
his associates. when it all is over, and
finished, could claim every bit of the
credit. The full victory would be
theirs. and supremacy blest. with
democratic contamination nowhere to
stain the accomplishment.
We ere not saying this either in an
ticipation of the city attorney wanting
the job. Neither would we convey the
impression that il is he who has been
finding fault with Prosecutor Mort
gomery and his deputies. In fact, we
have it from semi-authorative sources.
that he would almost as soon resign
and foregO the emOlumentS OF his Of
flee. as to undertake the task that the
prosecutors office has before it. Be
ing lawyer. he qualifiedly has. per
haps. q reasonable conception Of
what real evidence essential 10 the
successful conduct OF a lawsuit means
but neither his personal feelings nor
legal sense should be allowed to count
as VIC understand it. as against the
fulfillment Of an administration pro-
gram. for the installation of which he
is Sc largely responsible. He is a part
OF the administration force, and, IL
the administration is not getting as
much as it wants out OF the vice cases
# should soft-pedal a little heavier
Same as IL is due 90 Mayor Keller
and his associates. that the accom-
plishment. il il proves an accomplish
ment. should all be theirs SO IL is
duA 70 the Dublic that the failure II
II proves a failure. should be theirs
also.
SHE WAS ALL RIGHT
Let MS observe how Mesdame