Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-17

hand. The remedy, we believe, is first
an awakening of the public conscience
which would put public sentiment be-
hind the law and dare any man to yio-
late it. Such an awakening of the Of
fetal conscience as will put upon their
jobs the men who have been elected or
appointed and are paid by the people
to bring about and maintain condi-
ton of obedience to law and law en-
forcement
The third step in this process, as we
conceive it, is the work of the grand
jury in cooperation with the people
and officials in bringing to the bar of
justice every violtor of any law. And
yet our highest conception of satisfac-
tory living conditions for our people
in the various communities is not to
be attained through the punishment of
crime, but rather through the prevent
ion of crime. This is an ounce of pre-
vention worth more than pound of
cure. This obedience can be largely
obtained. but only through the coop
Grafton indicated above. We know
through letters and petitions and per-
sonal contact with the people that they
are sick and tired and discouraged
over conditions as they exist.
We are sure of the earnest purpose
of the Court and the States Attorney
in finding a remedy. The missing link
in this chain seems to be the absolute
failure of the Sheriff's office ami the
police force of the county and the city
of Annapolis in enforcing the law. We
have had before us the Sheriff, Chief
of Police of Annapolis and the county
and a number of their assistants and
most If not all, of these men testified
that they know that the violation of
the law Is wides II cad but declare that
they are unable to prevent 1t.
1t ought TO be said in Justice to the
police of Annapolis that they have tes-
tilted that when they have made ar
rests, prosecution has been refused,
and that they have actually had in
structions to warn parties to pull
down their blinds if they wantol to
sell on Sunday.
This jury is not prepared to accept
the confession of incompetency made
by our officials as an excuse for not
enforcing our laws. To us it is rather
case Of mal-feasance in office without
the technical evidence to sustain such
a charge. We are aware of the fact
that some of these men have recently
been placed in office and we are rea-
sonable in the matter. but we demand
that withIn reasonable time the evils
complained of shall be remedied, and
we pledge your Honor the undivided
efforts of this grand jury during its
term of office in bringing about this
end.
We greatly regret to note the strain
of pessimism running through this re-
port and the reports of our commit
tees; it constitutes a severe indictment
against the Official life of our commu-
nifty, to whom The people are paying
large sums of money for the transac-
ton of their business. 1t ought not to
be said that violations of law are wide
spread in Annapolis when the Mayor
of the city is the Chief of Police.
Conditions at the County Home
ought to be impossible under seven
trustees sworn to do their duty. The
County Commissioners should never
have tolerated the system of account
ing now in effect at the County Home.
No wonder our people are dissatisfied;
no wonder taxes are high; no wonder
the good name of our county is suffer
ing abroad. These things ought not
to be. and again we pledge your Honor
to do all in our power to remedy them.