El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-02-11
STOP THE OUTLAWRY IN Ell PASO
IT CAN BE DONE AND MUST BE DONE

IT was with regst that The Herald felt called upon to
publish the rsvong conditions unearthed by recent
hotel raid but it necessary As surgeons knife is
often necessary life, exposure Of corruption
necessary TO break up It is vel that the exposure has
been made; Il is well that TIE people Of the city have
learned lust what conditions exist without interior
enc IN the very heart city, In the hope Of effecting
. cure The Herald reluctantly the details Of the
whole mean sordd affair." that the public might judge for
itself Nov that what CAN happen in FL PasO,
lst Us see that il does not happen again.
Such conditions could exist if the peace officers
we're doing their duty There is politics IN this The
thing has gone on without interruption interference
from either police OF sheriff Nothing done until
doHs became rank that federal officials had to take
a hand.
Civil service commission investigations should be
diti0aS
What is needed is action that VIII teach peace officers
they are paid for Such conditions could not have
existed without the knowledge Of the police and other
peace officers
Civil service commissioners are adults; they know
few things and the talk Of probes" merely make other
adults who know few things smile and smile and smile
When the civil service commission Of Fl PasO wants
conditions such as have been exposed to cease IN Fl Pas
lies within the power Of the commission to have them
stopped Its members know this
civil service commission that informs police force
that the laws to be obeyed and then that they
enforced impartiaIly without regard to politics,
cal OF business standing very soon make it impossible
for such conditions TO exist have been exposed.
Incidentally, whenever the sheriff of the county makes
up his mind that such things shall be- there viii be
necessity 1or apologies after the federal government has
found It necessary to take action.
The existing conditions knowledge to
great many people n FL Pas0 long before the federal
thorities made their raid
Public officials charged with the enforcement OF the
law hardly be ignorant of conditions many other
people knew about; but they must either plead lack Of
novledge admit that they made effort stop the
thing. Either admission is bad enough.
II IS for officials TO say they do nothing
Where men-or womeH-0penly and repeatedly fout TIE
laws OF city and state the only law that indivd
uais knoWthe law OF I0rce-ust be exercised. Daily
rests heavy bonds punitive pursuit. the only thing
such people know fear the only effective with
them Men who would make the institutions they operate
dangerous TO community for the sake Of few doars
deserve consideration they make Of themselves out
laws BY deliberately setting about to break tie laws Of
community they must be treated as outlaws They need
rough hsndng-and peace officers know how to do this
as vel anybody There have been ample evidences OF
THIS IN the Of the fsndless this as IN other
cities with the money buy legal services is no
better than the Wemzn the who has no friends
who does not control his her own vote and he
snoud receive consideration; not as much for
he is more harmful TO the community.
Inc day is past when the outlaw can ruu politics IN e.
haso and the day fortunately past when the people viii
support Officials who cater to allow the outlaw to oper-
ate his nefarious business
Let the officials make repeated daily raids upon the
places that are known 10 be operating without The pale
q the law; throw the principals into Jail for every dsy
they opae5 let the courts hold them under such bonds
IS VII make them scramble to raise the amount; let the