South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-11-04
NEW VOICE IN COMMUNITY CRIES

youngster in knee pants. full of ambition,
hopeful; trying TO plant himself safe into the
future, and imagining that he is already a
fuII-grown man. determined to do wonderful
things, and, of course always from altruistic
motives
Reference is made TO Johnny Devine's
ddacy for prosecutor. 1t is AN Opportunity"
The organ Of Mr. Devines party says so, and
we note Johnny has had the saying" repro
duccd as "A campaign document, thus embrace
ing that opportunity" IL proves his wisdom
"Opporounity never knocks at a mans door
but once and the republican organ might
stand the young man up i'm the corner
again, and after Cooking him over" say such
nice things about him. were ne to- have let the
opportunity pass.
But the opportunity more clearly defined
Is what strikes the impressive; sop
pOrtunity' for "A wider publicity to JOhnny's
platform, "organistical " mentioned. And the
frankneSss of the child. He seeks 'thc pros
ecutor's office. for the salary" and wig
should he? Backed by wealthy parent full
blast behind his campaign, even coming over
from Chicago his manager, il is
plain that he doesn't need the salary. Besides
his father-in-Iaw Is paupcr. There isn't
ghost of "A show of his needing that sal
airy. And neither is il for the Offices political
aspects, but for the clean and firm purpose of
conducting il a business basis >
is meant by the statutcs,"-a line of altruism,
seldom exccIIed, never equalcd
But why be so secretive about IL? Who can
he be driving at? Is ne promising reforma-
ton from former republican administrations
OF that Office? We know of none, and have
never heard, from republicans, of any
uncleanlincss unbusinesslikc methods en-
plOycd i'm the prosecutions office, since the re-
publicans last Ousted Never hint of
graft fear favor To any person or fac
ton" has beer waited to the breeze. even
from the columns of the opposition press 10
these last six years i'm criticism of Prosecutor
MontgOmerys Observation-Disclosures we were
just wondering If friend Devine means to
promise that this policy is to be continued.
But wait.
The lad believes that "tle prosecutor that
would enforce the law would wipe out all the
petty vice i'm the country" and he intends
that end, Ito enforce the law "a it is the
statutes whenever the evidence" of such petty
vices lis presented" to him. It's a mans job,
sonny. to wipe out all the petty vices" with
such a one fell swoop but when accosted with
evidence of the greater vices. what are you
going TO do about it? Are YOU going to give
attention only to the petty vices and let the
greater vices slide? If this announcement
prcsslgcs ''refona prosecutor" perhaps we
who believe i'm reforms. had better DC giving
a little attention to scopes Exactly where
like splitting on the sidewalk, voting the demo-
cratic ticket. climbing the bean-pOIe etc, and
the "grandcr'' vices. like lodging the automo-
bile license Law. conducting a bawdy house,
keeping saloons open Sundays, burgIarizing 3
homes. pickpocketry, highwaymanship, muir
der, etc. come in?
matter of conscience, suppose. But
before dealing with that point, one other one.
We refer to the assurance. generously afforded
us, that the republican nominee has discovered
that he did not make the law" He merely
feels bound by conscience and duty to
force il under all reasonable circumstances"
What is "A reasonable circumstances" IL
sounds something like that supreme court
decision i'm the Standard Oil case constituting
the sherman antitrust law not dscounten-
ancing a reasonable" monopoly of course
of the Danbury hatters variety. Perhaps
pass up who made the law alto
gether.
And thus, here we are, all mixcd-up. We
have been wanting to- say something nice
about young friend, and trying
best to still. When that pronunciamento fest
appeared in republican contemporary we
were still hopeful that il only the afOre-
said contemporaries bunglesOme way of doing
things, but now that he appropriates il. are
afraid the last straw has flown. Timber for
reform prosecutor" BOsh! John f. Devine
has about as much of the spine essential TO
the making of a reform prosecutor" as an
angIeNyorm has. Montgomery for
He has the unsayory virtue OF being a demo-
crat to be SURE, but ne has conducted his
Office 30 well, and without any trumpcted re
form PrctentiOns, that the people of St JO-
seph county have three times elected him and
are going elect him again. Evidently too
the republicans nightly afraid of IT, the
organ that il boosting Dcyine being 50 con-
founded narrow in its partisSlnshp or broad in