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

moval law to bring pressure on sher-
liff who thus openly violated the law.
Ii is only matter of surprise yet
that the reign OF terror did not have
greater terrors. One Cay one of these
"searcherS' was out on a raid and ne
passed thru a district frequented by
hard characters. A crowd commenced
20 follow him from place to place. One
Of the men had rope with a moose in
it. The writer informed the constable
OF that fact. Don't worry" he said.
as he threw back his coat and showed
his arsenal. Il am ready for them"
But he was not molested. The writer
spent a good deal of time following
the trail TO be on hand when a good
news item developed, but nobody made
move. The crowd became veritable
mob, but the constable. whose iron
nerve never deserted him, went calmly
about his business. Yet the incident
shows what very bad situation may
easily develop without the desire of any
of the parties.
Now il 50 happens that in Des
Moines there are few persons who
have set out, just as did the search
ers' of twenty-five years ago. to en-
gage in so-called law enforcement with
fee grabbing on the side. They have
discovered that the prohibitory law
affords an easy way of getting a lot OF
money out of the state or county. SO
they have gone to Searching" the drug
stores and soda fountains for drinks
that may perchance contain just a
trace of alcohol and finding the same
undertake to make cases Of violation
- - ;r;. Low. @
the same old game over again. One
governor Of Iowa put il on record that
such conduct is reprehensible in Iowa
and one who engages in II forfeits the
! executive clemency. There is this diff
ference however, that in the other
years the men caught We're real boot
leggers and intended to defy the law,
while now practically all the men at
tackled and prosecuted have sought to
obey the law and if they have offended
! it has been unwittingiy.
| One of the staunchest and most
earnest Of the temperance workers OF
! Iowa SAID the other day OF the Des
Mo.nes situation:
| 1T is very bad. II is doing incalcu-
f, liable harm to the temperance cause. II
| is a serious mistake that persecution
for the sake of revenue should be in.
dulged IN in the name of temperance
We have had several sessions on the
matter and conferences with men who
sincerely desire that prohibition shall
become the rule in Iowa, and We hav'
sought to put stop to this system
which has been revived. If men are t.
go on without restraint making of thu
prohibitory law a fee mill there Will
be another reaction like that of TWEEN
ty-five years ago. We are doing wha
we can to avert it, but Unfortunate.
can not control those who are respon
sible for the policy
This view prevails among a grea
many temperance people. They fea
the inevitable reaction when a goo
law is made use of for an imprope
!, purpose.
The man whose sentence Of tire
years for perjury was committed t
!, two and one-half years by a cover
nor of Iowa number of years ago o
the express condition he should neve
again in Iowa engage in the bushes
commonly known as searcher' is run
ming a chicken farm near Des Moine
: He is a good, clean citizen, and har
: working But suppose he should b
J elected constable and a warrant wa
4 placed in his hands to be served whic
involved searching some place fc
[ liquor kept for illegal sale-would h
z dare to serve the warrant and thu
become "searcher," or would he re
fuse to perform the duties Of his Of
fca7