Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-12-24
BUILDING CAMOUFLAGE

AAVlOOILAUE
Yesterdays World, with the conviction that the Unit
ed States District Attorney S. w Walker rot going
to prosecute all those who found to be violating the
prohibition laws goes to great length to attack Prose-
cutting Attorney Noll claiming they do not expect Mr.
Noll to do his duty.
We hold no brief for Mr.. No.
But we must say that, with the u S. District Attor
ney stage director and assuming, he did Friday
night all responsibility and credit for the raid cannot
see by what hocus pocs the responsibility Of prosecution
can be transferred from Mr. Walker to Mr. Noll
We have no right nor reason to feel that the cases
will not eventually be thoroughly hreshed out nor
interested in the legal procedure incident thereto that
matter for those who carried out the search for evil
dence to handle.
Nor interested in whether or not the deputies
acted within their rights in their proscuous search Of
private conveyances except that any officer of the law
who violates the protection given the people by the
stitution should be severely punished
So much for the legal phase of the matter - that is
up to the authorities, entirely.
After its inspired attempt shift the burden of the
prosecution of the cases. the World shows it's purpose 1t
again attempts often has DONE state what is or
not the position of the Journal 1t does this in its untir
ing but vain effort to cash in at somebody elses
pense.
1t says 1--WE also feel that this opportunity must not
be overlooked" to go after the Journal.
Go to it, we say.
The World tried that in the coal price matter at the
of the public 1t criticised the Journal for say
nalWon It's casefor the people and secured reduction of
dollar ton, the World was too pcayune to even
mention the price the action Of the Fuel Commit
tee.
And so it is, always - misstating the Journals po-
sition hoping to fool who does not think for
himself
AS to the matter of publishing or not publishing the
of those people who from hearsay we believed to
have been involved in the search along the Pike, have
taken position which know to be right and fair 1t
is this:
If the people who were stopped by the deputies and
had liquor taken from their guilty Of breaking
the law then the proper place for us to have gotten the
information and names would have been from the office
of United States District Attorney Stuart W. Walker
When asked him for the names OF the offenders
he replied by stating that he had nothing to do with the
matter.
Suppose that we had published the hearsay names
land if we had would have published all of them and
not only few did the Word and later the District
Attorneys office had been subject to cold feet as it is
today and had stated that it had no charge against those
whose names had published? What would have been
the result? Why it would undoubtedly have been libel
suit against the Journal and the injury of someone's good
name.
Think that over carefully and you will see why the
Journal is satisfied with it's position far not pub
fishing the names is concerned.
Federal authorities made and planned the raid Fed
eral authorities out the warrants before United
States Commissioner Those making the search boosted
the Pike that they federal authorities. Federal
"safe keeping And federal authorizes withheld the
of those they had searched and whose goods they
had confscated Why?
The whole matter resolves itself into this:
The federal authorities felt that certain laws relating
to the liquor business being violated They nves
tgated And then they out with the statement that
they had nothing to do with the matter and attempt to
throw the burden Prosecuting Attorney No who
first learned of the raid after through his wife
who was passenger in of the which stop
ped.
But aside from all this the actual situation is that
certain people charged with violations of the law
they proven guilty. they will no doubt be punished
If proven innocent they will still be punished by having
their names besmirohed by bgotted, self-apponted