Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-24
LITTLE CHANCE FOR NEW TEN.
PERANcE LAWS TO BE
MADE FARcicAL.
COMPULSORY ENFORCEMENT
az COUNTY OFFICIALS
Law Makes Il Duty Of Peace Officers
70 See That Statutes Are Not Vio-
lated - State May Send Special
Agents nto Any Section Of State If
Local Officials Fail.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, May PA pamphlet Of
thirty pages soon to be issued from the
office of the attorney general will be
in great demand after July l, as it will
embody the new Iowa laws in regard
TO temperance matters and much other
information related TO the subject. The
complication was by Henry E. Sanlp-
son, assistant attorney general.
A feature of the pamphlet that is
conspicuous when it is fully analyZed
is a showing which will dispel that
doubt which is said to exist in the
minds of many persons that there will
be any better enforcement of the laws
as to temperance matters than in the
former period of attempted prohibition.
The pamphlet, by bringing into the
strong light the essential phases OF
Iowa law as they Will exist, makes il
clear there will be a vast difference be-
tween the situation next year and what
it was twenty-five years ago. That
difference is chiefly in the fact that
whereas formerly the matter of law
enforcement was left pretty much to
private action and individual init!a-
tive, now II is imposed upon law Off
GERS with Such QlrSclneSS that evasion
is hardly possible.
Enforcement Compulsory.
For instance. there is the law giving
the attorney general supervisory au-
thority over all law enforcing officers,
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 10
nr0hiFiTnYv
measures and punishment as a mis-
demeanor If il 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 writ
ing as to any suspicious matter. Then
there is the law which requires the
county attorney to call upon the fed
eral officials every SO often for list OF
names Of persons holding federal liquor
licenses and these are kept on file
open Co the public. Then very i'm
portant will be the farther publicity
that is given by the new law TO re-
quire carriers to keep on file COM
plete record Of shipments with GER
tificate Of each person receipting for
liquors that the same is for his per-
sonal use. These laws all make it
easier to enforce prohibition and
harder to evade the law.
Special Agents at Call.
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
whether the local officials are perform
ing the duties imposed on them by
law. Along with this is the removal
law which is virtual command to
every peace officer of the state,
whether in dry or wet territory, TO be
vigilant in the enforcement Of the
prohibtory laws as well as all others.
Now in the period from 1884, when
the prohibitory law was enacted. until
1894, when the mulct law was adopted.
when there was the greatest chaos and
turmoil because Of the impossibility of
enforcement of law that was dis
tasteful to a large part of the popula-
ton very few Of these agencies existed
for enforcement. Public officials had
no specific duty. II was all left to in
dividuals. The only incentive TO any
public official 10 engage in law en-
forcement was what he could get out
Of it in fees. Even the governor had
no authority in the matter. The
county attorneys and the attorney gen.
eral had nothing to do with enforce
ment. The sheriffs could obstruct en-
forcement with impunity.
at 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 before, that at least
we may expect a very different situa