South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-02
HOME RULE" AND rum RULE" IN
SOUTH BEND

SOUTH BEND.
The presence in South Bend OF federal officials
looking 20 the enforcement OF the vostead prohi-
billion act ought put shame any pretensively
right-mInded person who has advocated home
rule for cities" this in matters generally.
far concerns public morals home rule" for cities
has almost always meant rule" Tie devil gets
in his good work by playing upon the good sports
manship" Of the denying Peters who do not wish to
appear too "stralght-laced" and upon the Judases
who always be bought of with a few pieces
Of silver" payable maybe in rents: possibly
other brand OF commercial advantage.
The horne rule" theory Is beautiful It would
seem that every community should be capable oil
self government: OF INSTRUMENTATION as to
kind and amount Of governing they want. And per-
hays they are Whether not they capable os
determining the kind OF governing they need, how
ever. Is quite another matter on. but how the
OF do love to follow the line OF least resist
ance;" dislike making ourselves obnoxious or IN
popular. with the very devils own.
cuence. It appears that most cities need a sort OF
mandatory" over them Home rule is brazen
sham
That is why it has been necessary for the federal
government 70 assume some supervision South
Bend in the enforcement of the volstead code
sufficient local spine. supporting degree of moral
that moral obloquy in the face of party
iesiance-we do not know which Home rule"
that no difference how rotten the
rule is. the party in the saddle and the partisans
that put It there condone if affirm. and
encourage it in its rotenness. The average city
der home rule" is sort OF balkan state, quite
exclusively for the seifperpetuaon of the powers
that be-" and caring little for anything else.
Home rule" in South Bend. so far as concerns
enforcement OF liquor laws and in South Bend quite
the elsewhere has quite always meant rum
rule" this not alone since prohibition but before
under the saloon. Reform mayors ard reform chiefs
of police have In majority Of proven but lit
tie better than the adherents OF wde-openness be-
fore reaching the end of their terms Pulpits have
barked and pous parishioners have prayed for i'm
provement, but unless officials opposition
political fold, it is usually in an undertone. f
II does not songs of praise. 1t is one of the
reasons that they have better law enforcement in
Canada. and Great Britain and numerous other
countries. than in America; one Of the reasons that
they have less petty and violent crimes They have
never become infatuated with the home rule"
sophistry. They after the offenders long range,
with a Of tongs as they would go out to pick up
a burning coal. and thus it becomes less of con-
test between neighbors.
The long range law official too has the advantage
the offender under his clutch hasn't
schedule OF all the skeletons in his closet TO shake
face. with which to threaten his reputa-
ton and TO disgrace his family If he doesn't desst
He doesn't have to particularly what the Cos
sips of the neighborhood from whence a law viola
tor taken. think of him or what they don't think
of him,-for you know, the who sets out 20
curb the Vaccinations of hell, finds saints and
sinners united against him. It has been 50 ever
since Christ appeared before the sanhedrin; ever
since He refused to try to reform Nazareth because
"a prophet Is without honor save in his own
country"
This much we will say for Mayor Carson same
OF other mayors that have run the same
course. incident TO all that has been said above
about the necessity of federal officials among US
The people owe it themselves. 4 proper insstence
uLon law enforcement, such he promised when
mollycoddling those whom he double-crossed in his
quest OF their votes. would have brought law en-
forcement. But there such insistence; none
from any source. until conditions stencil and
then 1t went away from home and had its en-
forcement imported. For party politics sake II
wouldn't do, under home rule" 10 compromise the
party. and the who raises the question just for
decencys sake. gets vision Of even the professedly
pous turning their heaven like so many
calves with the collie and begging an excuse from
the Most High Mayor Carson has had every reason
TO believe that he giving South Bend the kind
Of home rule" II wanted.