Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-22

cry and probably in yours That was
special attorneys fees Of sl,l50 that
was paid in the Dinneen and Neary
eases, which in substance was a pros
ecution by the City OF Ottawa OF Din.
neen for violation of the saloon ordi-
nance, in which the city attorney. who
is paid a regular salary. stood ready
and willing and was perfectly C6mpe-
tent to do the work Nothing has been
done in the Neary case If the city
rightfully spent Sl,l50 Of the taXpay.
ers' money here for special counsel in
that matter, one which was tried tie
fore as honorable a citizen and jus,
tice as Mr. Thompson, which on
change OF venue would have gone 10
my friend c. NJ Pool. / contend that
in matter so vastly more vital 20 the
citizens Of this city in general. aban-
/ donment of street car service. they
could have well afforded to hire
dozen lawyers and paid them ten
/ times the price
AT the same time these officials
are de.lOuncing me in their official ca
/ pacity they are urging taat the bill
! OF Mr. Cherry, the contractor, for an
| item OF S3.2CU freight charges be paid,
when il contains nearly and admitted
oyercharge Of nearly $500. | contend
that the least culpable charge can be
made against these officials that were
urging payment of this bill with an
oVercharge OF nearly $500 in it is
ignorance OF a matter that they ough.
to know all about
In a matter involving $4,000 an
item OF $500, or almost a third oil the
total amount is quite a discrepancy.
This amount may seem inc0nSequen-
tial to them as years Of administrative
action slip by; when | compare it
with my little Sl0G service fee it looks
pretty big 20 me. And Mr. Cherry
now, on what is claimed is a losing
contract, has not only waived the
proven excess, but the whole $4,000.
and | wonder why? If it was my
cain and the city owed me $4,000 |
would want it and would try to get it.
Il don't want you to conclude that
am advocating loose methods of law
enforcement On the contrary, | be
leye in strict law enforcement, but or
dinarily believe salaried attorney
competent to do the work. | don't be-
lieve in gendemen's agreements or in
so-called necessary evils, and | doubt
that any public official need apologize
to anybody for enforcing the law as
he finds it, and as he has sworn when
he takes his oath of office so 20 Go.
And don't believe in city com.
missioner hiding behind the skirts OF
/ another commissioner because
known infringement CT the law he
longs to the others department.
Il would like to see the city ad-
ministration that | was a member OF,
that any department thereof was so
inherently the property OF the com
missioner at the head of it that
would stand for law violation and
thereby have cast its odium upon me,
or spend money that / did not know
something about
THE theory of law is that to prose
cute criminals is partly for the effect
it has on the rest of us.
"To prosecute some petty criminal
and not the great criminal leads to
contempt of .aw
I'll you are to have righteousness
yoa mus: stop crime at It's source. and
the source is the powerful criminal
This city has been a city of privi-
lege, and that, in my judgment, is the
reason that we have failed to grow
and prosper III fifty years.
Let me cite you an instance right
t up To date
The city has ordered all showcases
3 to be removed from the streets. as
: you may have noticed in the papers
the other night
! "TWo young women with millinery
l shops in rooms upstairs on La Sale
J street are thereby deprived of all their
little chance to advertise Born and
$ raised in Ottawa ana trying TO make
/ a living from honest toll, yet the