South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-03
WBSHAWAkA
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Pharrisas-Part 2.

Editor News-Times:-
In addition to the statement OF
wednesday calling attention TO n
dominant features Illustrative OF n
recurrence of an ancient blight upon
the community, let the following De
submitted, viz:
That a double standard prevails in
the community permitting the opera
ton of that twin a-rti-social insltu-
ton. the gambling joint and blind
tiger. in that while the one operated
under the name Of the Lincoln High
way club, by the hoi poloi, without
social standing, the other may go on
unmolested, though oft reported in
the organization of a similar club, not
operated on the outskirts of the city
in a location infrequently used by
the public, but in the very heart or
the city and at the verv hours when,
outside, passes the larger percentage
Of the church-gOing folk and the at
tendants on the Sunday schools OF
the city. This endeavor to establish
the double drunkenness standard and
the double standard for blind-tigerism
and gambling joints, by crushing the
under-fellow, and by an apparent pro-
tee ion of responsibility Nardly squares
with the loud cry for moral upltft or
the community to which it once was
vchemently subjected purely for po-
litical purposes.
If the board of public safety shall
see fit TO dismiss the patrolman upon
the strong plea of the city attorney
that such ofrcer grossly misconducted
himself in arresting a citizen whom
he thought was drunk. but whom in
the light of later events might have
been sober: a man whom the chief
admitted he had especially instructed
the officer to watch for intOXication;
while such board shall permit to go
unnOticed the hasty arrest of another
citizen by the selfsame chief upon
the charge of murder-who shall not
say the board has established the
precedent of another double standard
Of arrest upon suspicion, viz: that the
more turpitude involved in the charge
upon which the arrest shall be made
4, the larger the exemption Of the officer
in making such arrest? Such is the
shuttle-cock and battle-doOr policy of
the notice department, relating to the
citizens of the community. and re-
lating to the prevailing a~nti-social
practices. 1t is a mistaken policy,
fraught with p%erplexing problems in
the execution of the law by the sworn
servants of the people Under their
Oaths.
Such a policy outlined as disclosed
by the testimony at the trial indicates
that the old spirit Of monarchy and
aDSOluJlSm mas not been entirely Grad
icated in this enlightened community.
1t reasserts and reestablishes that
fact OFTEN before charged, that when
certain people are elected to office,
they at once conclude their election
is not an expression of the popular
will, but the result of the superior
talent n grace of those chosen for
public service. This is the spirit that
refuses the larger measure of self
government to the people: that throws
fits Of agOnizing pain at the mere
mention of the initiative, referendum
and recall: that is convinced that the
people is a mere mob; that enlarges
in its benignity the mantle of free
dom and blessing only to me and my
wife, my son John and his wife, us
four and no more that utterly re-
fuses communion with democracy.
equality and freedom unless all IA
vOrs shall 20 to them and forever
he denied to the 'DC blication and the
%oinner.' Thus endeth our p~reachment
of Pharisaism, both ancient and
lmodern. PROBONO.