Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-22

American citizen if his American
J propaganda in Europe is to ring true
He must know that the socialism h
! is fighting in Europe will not be per
! mitted to spread its poison In Amer
I ca. He must know that America i
J loyal to the very core. That is tn
J job of the stay-at-home American
guard his government and its 1nstitu
i tons against assault from within
! while our soldiers are protecting ]
) and us by warding of the attacl
launched by the kaiser.
HOW LONG?
II seems that the decent people Of
!Ottumwa owe a vote of thanks to thu
two or three officials in Agency who
have police powers, for the Occasional
arrests they make when liquor cara
vans pass through their town on the
way to Ottumwa. Monday saw one
such capture, but it Is worthy of note
that the Agency sleuths batted only
, 500. for another delegation Of lid tilt
ers passed them in safety and, OF
course, delivered cargo Of liquors In
Ottumwa.
Meanwhile, however, the Ottumwa
police did not bat at all.
With the roads in their present con-
dition and automobile traffic restricted
as it is, even half-wit could detect
bootleggers on their way along the
country roads from the Mississippi
river towns to Ottumwa. Anything
like conscientious effort by the OH
Gals of the city and county would re-
suit in so many arrests that the trafnc
would become a most perilous one and
would attract only the most venture
some souls.
One Of the strange features OF OF
tumwa's present experience with boot
leggers is that private citizens appar-
emily are considerably ahead Of the po-
lice in acquaintance with the law
breakers and their methods. AS for
the county officials, their activities are
nil. Occasionally Chief of Police Noah
|hales someone into court, but his
achievements are so few that the boot
leggers readily take a gamblers
chance and, in the majority OF cases,
find the percentage in their favor.
There is a notable reluctance on the
part of the city officials reluctance
which is difficult to explain-to accept
the cooperation Of individual citizens
or to cooperate with them in bringing
bootleggers to justice. This does not
apply alone to the police, but to the
police court as well.
The winter is drawing to close
with a record of successful operations
on the part of the bootleggers IN OF
tumwa, a record which reflects any
thing but credit on the police force and
stamps county officials as either care
less Of their police duty or absolutely
incompetent.
With warmer weather the roads will
improve, automobile traffic will multi
ply and it will be actually more diff
cult to identity vehicles which are car
rying liquor. Just now there Is no ex-
cuse for the failure of Ottumwa and
Wapello county officials to stop the
traffic.
1t is a remarkable commentary on
the astuteness of the police that COM
mon r,lmor assigns to one citizen the
title, king Of the bootleggers" and
that this man enjoys apparent immun-
ity from Interference on the part OF
the officials who are charged with pro
tecting the community against viola
ton of law.
It is a remarkable commentary on
the astuteness of the police that motor
ious resorts are permitted to operate
in central locations, to flaunt their law
lessness by day and night, to assure
their patrons that they need not fear
arrest and to sell liquors with no more
attempt at secrecy than is exercised
by a Main street merchant in the mar
keting of dress goods.
It is remarkable commentary on
the astuteness of the police that men
who for score OF years have made
their living only by gambling and the
sale of liquor are to be seen in Ottum-
wa today, with mo visible means of
support" but with money in every
pocket.
The condition would be laughable II
1t were not deadly serious. At any
time it would be serious. Just now 1t
is a tragedy which affects not only
Ottumwa but the nation. The money
which a failure to enforce the Laws per-
mits parasitical gamblers and bootleg.
gers to wrest from wage earners,
would go far toward completing the
QNOt1 WOAS ~ AvCo&SA IA
Liberty Bonds or War Savings certifi-
Gates. It would relieve restitution in
some of the wage earners' families
and make the members of those fami.
lies better able to bear their share of
the burdens which the war puts on
every loyal citizen.
Hundreds of men from Ottumwa and
Wapello county are In the war zone or
on their way, Offering their lives in de-
tense Of the government which, il their
sacrifices are to count for anything,
must be upheld by the patriotic service
and devotion of those who remain at
home. The gambler and the bootlegger
are enemies Of those soldiers just as
much to be despised az are the bar.
barrie, war-mad boche hordes whose
crimes against humanity have smear
ed the pages of Germany's history
with disgrace
How long will the decent people oil
Ottumwa remain silent and supine?
AMERICAS ACHIEVEMENT
iF'rom Wednesdays Daily