The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-05-26
AYABLE IN ADVANCE
SOMEWHAT INvIDIoUs

fort to stamp out the illegal sale
of liquor in this county were IMAM
imously passed in the churches
of various denominations. Pros
ecuting Attorney Henry Davis,
who is leading the fight against
Bookkeeping, is making the rec
ord his friends believed implicit
ly that he would make and they
are glad to see the general pub
lie acknowledging the efficiency
of his work as well as that of
the other officers of the court,
who are cooperating with him.
Pennington News.
Credit to whom credit is due is a
good principle to follow, but our
neighbor shows a disposition to be in
vidious and partial in singing out
our Prosecuting Attorney and giving
him undue prominence in its reference
to the resolutions passed by the
Churches commencing the county Of
ficials in their efforts to uphold the
law, and to accord to others scant
praise in a general way. The News
method of treating the subject is cal
culated to arouse a suspicion that
there is more politics in its mind than
a disposition to be fair and just to all
and politics is thing that every
body who is sincere in his desire to
see the law enforced would like to
have relegated to the rear.
Mr.. Davis, we believe, is an honest
and conscientious officer who is dis
posed to do his duty impartially, but
to single him out in this matter as the
one who is %eading the fight against
bootlegging," is misleading to say the
least. AS everyone knows, or ought
to know, it is not the province of a
Prosecuting Attorney to assume the
prerogatives of detecting crime, maxi
ing arrests, etc. That is RESPONSE
bility devolving upon other officers,
or persons who may know of viola
tons of the law, and without whose
faithfulness the courts and their of
ficers would have little to do in exc
cutting the law against crime. When
crime is detected and arrests are made
or complaints filed with the Prescott
ing Attorney, then it is his duty to
file informations, sift the evidence to
see that it is sufficient to convict--a
duty that involves protection of the
innocent as well as prosecution and
conviction of the guilty-and he would
be recreant to his trust if he neglect
ed to do this.
With no shadow of desire or in
tention to pluck single laurel leaf
from the brow of Mr.. Davis, we make
bold to say that he is not the inspir-
alton or leader in the fight to enforce
the local option law and break up the
illicit sale of intoxicants in this coun-
ty, although we are free to say that
we believe he has done his duty. The
Civic League has been both the in
spiration and the leader in this cam
paign. 1t has furnished the money to
cover the expense of ferreting out the
places of illicit sale-has spent in the
neighborhood of $3.50 in this cam
paign of law enforcement-to put
men to work along the line of detec-
ton and to furnish the Prosecuting
Attorney with the evidence that has
insured the recent convictions and
caused most of the offenders to en-
ter pleas of guilty, which it is hoped
will have wholesome influence up
on all who are disposed to defy the
law.
1t was the Civic League which is
composed of considerable body of de-
termined, clear-hearted citizens that
backed up Deputy Sheriff Sam Doss
to make the raids on illicit dens in
Bonnie Terre and Elvins, seize their
supplies of whiskey and other intox-
icants, arrest their keepers and turn
them over to the Sheriff as indisput-
able evidence against the offenders.
In its determination to have the law
enforced the League has given the
officers, as well, its moral support,
and the officers of the court, Judge
Huck and the, Prosecuting Attorney,
whose duty it is to enforce the law,
have appreciated this and been faith
full in the discharge of that duty, as
have the deputy sheriffs and consta-
bles in making arrests. Let US not
withhold from them the need Of
praise due them as public servants.
but put aside invidious distinctions on
account of our political predictions
for this officer or that just because a
political campaign is pending.