The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-10-30
LOCAL OPTION AT
CRITICAL STAGE
LIQUOR vENDERs ARE GETTING
B0lDER AS THE DAYS PASS
A NOT SCRAP is SCENTED
Looks as If the Next Election viii
be on a Platform Of Law En-
fercement or Open County

fercement or Open County
From Iron River comes word this
week that Mr.. Rutledge has left Iron
county bag and baggage. Mr.. Rut-
ledge was brought here about three
months ago by the Iron County Wei
fare Association for the purpose OF
supesvising the enforcement OF the
local option laws. The contests that
have been waged since his arrival
have not been on the whole salts
factory. Illicit liquor dealers are get
ting bolder with each day and condi-
tons are rapidly nearing a point
where some move must be made or
local option regime in this county ac-
knowledged to be a failure. None -ea-
lie that fact more than the movers an
the local option fight 1t maybe that
Mr.. Rutledges going presages some
thing new in the law enforcement line
in this county. 1t may be that the Iron
County Welfare Assn. has decided that
under present conditions the enforce
ment OF the law is a practical impos-
sibility.
Claim officials Deriiict
The claim is made that the task OF
enforcing the laws is OF more than or
dinary moment for the reason that
the sympathies Of the officials. county
and municipal. are with the anti-local
option crowd.
The chief clamor Is against the
sheriff's deputies In Iron county, Even
Sheriff Sensiba has been sadly dis
appointed in his efforts to enforce the
law because OF the non-support that
he has received from the men that he
gave stars to. It is claimed that his
undersheriff. man who is intending to
run for sheriff next year, Topped over
and aided the law evaders instead OF
the law enforcers. IL Is rumored that
several dismissals will be made from
the deputy list as a result of the fiasco
pulled off couple of weeks ago.
One gentleman from the west side
in explaining the difference in senti-
ment between the two places says,
"The reason why law evasion is not so
apparent in Crystal Falls is that You
have mayor who sympathizes with
The dry side. Your law evaders here
are not as bold as they are on the
other side but you have them here just
the same over on the west side the
officials are not in sympathy with the
dry side and the fellows who are ILL
city selling booze know that they
have that influence back Of them
Hence Il Is no secret that liquor is be-
ing sold in Iron River You can get II
almost anywhere you wish"
Are To Try For a Clean Up
Another man. and he was leader In
the aght last April. says "The reckon
ing time is coming. Just as sure as you
are editing paper the question oi
law enforcement is going TO be the
issue In the local and county elections
next spring and fall and there is goina
10 be no dodging the issue Every mar
who runs for Office will have to stand
up and declare himself: not that he Il
wet or a dry but whether he will
II elected. enforce the laws. We DIR,
advocates don't care What man be
lieyes on the local option question
What they want to know Is will yo,
see that the laws are enforced TIL,
next campaigns will be fought on tha
issue"
Il can tell YOU something else,
said our informant. We are not goini
to let Il drop at elections either. n
mAnais chosen to Office and he refuse
or neglects to do his duty there will
be a petition 20 recall him just as the
did that mayor over in Munising. TAX
Il from me that there Is going TO b
N something doing In Iron county poll
tics next year all the time"
Among the county officers and a
mong those who have their lightenin
rods FURNISHED ready for erection
y there Is feeling that this question Z
law enforcement Is going TO be We,
ing one. We have YET 70 meet the ma
who welcomes II. Some Of the cand
dates don't care but none Of them er
Joy the issue From this condition
Affairs Il lookes az II the "dry" side ha