The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-03-02
OPINIONS

old maxim, between two evils choose
the lesser"
System 4 with the screws: System
three failing, then the mighty dis
penser of the law begins to show his
true colors. "Oh, you'll fight, will
you? All right, how would you like
to spend a night in Jail and pay law
yers' fee and we will convict you in
spite of anything you can do and re-
member I'll get you 80 days in Jail
and maybe a fine On top of it. I'll
split this thing up and bring it against
you, count by count and drag it along.
I'll show you what fight is. If you've
got a lot of money to throw away and
want to go to Jail all right. l don't
care. Better think it over 1t may
not cost you a cent if you plead
guilty but fight and I'll railroad you"
But you say, no man is guilty until
he is found guilty. Nothing bars the
course of justice. That may be but
every word that a warden says is
absolutely true. He runs no bluff
and is taking no chances. The state
pays his expenses and fights his
-! fight. Not so with the victim. 1t very
| rarely matters to the officer whether
he is guilty or not. 1t does not mat
ter a particle to him whether he is
working in the interest of game pro.
lection or not. But n thought oc-
cupies his mind and that runs some
thing like this: 'If l can only make
an arrest and convict somebody,
don't care how or who. l shall have
to make a showing to the powers that
be and cinch my job. I shall have to
have a list of convictions in my
pocket to show the gullible public
what a great thing l am doing for
game protection and in the meantime
draw a good salary or fatten it With
rewards for convictions"
What difference should it make to
4 game warden whether a man makes
4 fight for his liberty or pleads guilty
% a charge of which he may be in
uocent.
Logically, where a game warden
signs the complaint, the case is auto.
u~atically transferred from him to the
tate he represents. He becomes
merely a witness in the ase insofar
rs he is concerned. After giving his
testimony and submitting evidence
is through. His duty is done.
Why should an officer of the Law
resort to dirty, little mean, contempt
ible, tricks to feed and further his
own hypocritical selfishness?
l started this article with "The
State of Minnesota is a great state.
It's people are a part of the greatest
people in the world" Can the state
afford to be so small through it's Of
6ccrs?
Has Minnesota dirty work to do
that requires dirty men to do it, or
are your laws so that you have to re-
sort to tricks to enforce them. The
proper description of which would
not look we'll on paper. Can Mime
sofa afford to have men on its official
pedestal whose priceless endowment
is blackened beyond recognition. Not
long ago a Minnesota game warden
visited with a Canadian officer just
across the boundary. Something like
the following conversation took place:
American G. w: 1--WE got to make
an arrest somewhere pretty quick"
C. O.-Surprised: "Why?"
Am. o: ooh! that is what I'm paid
for and I've got to make some show
ing to earn my money"
C. o: why, is that the way you
people handle the game protection
over there?" \
Am. O.: "Sure, we have to get some
body once in a while or we would lose
our jobs"
c. o: well, that's funny. It's just
the reverse over here"
Am. O.-Surprised: "Is that so?
What do you mean?"
C. o: "Only this. If I cannot handle
this territory and keep the people
from violating the game laws without
making enemies and wholesale ar
rests, some one would take my place
very shortly"
Am. o: But how do you know that
the laws are not being violated?"
c. o: "For the very simple reason
that 1 cannot honestly name you one
person in this neighborhood that l
think would do anything to hurt my
standing with the government. l
have no enemies. Every one l know
around here is a good friend of mine"
A great many people from several
parts of the U. s.. have met this same
Canadian officer in his official capac-
ity.
The least l have ever heard any
one say of him is this: THAT fellow
is q man, every inch of him from the
ground up" 1 know him too. 1 will
gladly add: "He can throw his shout
ders back, hold up his head, open his
eyes and look the world in the face.
Bar nothing"
Say Minnesota: How many such
men have you on your list of game
wardens?"
There ought to be as good men with
as much brains in this Good Old U.
8 as there are In Canada