South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-26
YOnkerS System
OfE1tf0rcen1ent
Of Prohibition
BY samuel c. Blythe.

S4 ~ muel &. Blythe.
The way 20 prove Up on prohibi-
ton Is 20 have prohibition II q is
satisfactory g can be MAINTAINED
II 90 is unsatisfactory = can De-
modified. This anomalous condition
at present Is not only disEraceful
but most startling testimony %
the failure OF a democracy 20 obev
its own commands. Persons who
break the law or colnsve a. law
breaking do not advance the WEE
cause. nor do they retard the dr.
cause. they simply hold things Ga a.
intolerabic and vicious middle
ground. Two years OF popular'r
aided enforcement would settle the
question forever. either for CT
against & hundred years Of such
"a condition as has existed during
the past year viii do nothing but
breed a large crop OF criminals fof1
the discomfort OF the public
Enforcement OF any law. though
officially the business OF the law
officers Of q government. state cr
community. Is primarily the bus
ness OF the citizen. Laws VIII be
enforced II the citizens who sup
port the law machinery OF any ma
Jor or minor government make the
demand. often they are not en-
forced II citizens remain passive IN
the matter. Usually when citizens.
go about their demand for law Ell
forcement they make the mistak
OF trying 10 become law enforce
themselves. They undertake 20
the work that the officials are lax
in doing; and they fail. for one rea-
son or another. somewhere along
the line.
The error that the volunteer law
enforcers make-in q city crusade
against vice. SAYS that they en-
deavOr TO secure convictions on the
evidence Of law violations they have
gathered. This aids both the law
breakers and the official law en-
tOrcers, who may be either in ca
boots with the lawbreakers or is
noring them for a purpose-for pc
luCal or other reasons. u shifts
the responsibility from the officials
20 the citizens and the lax, political
or corrupt officials merely sit back
tire out the citizens. who have their
own interests 10 look after, and
nothing much happens.
Recently. IN the city Of Yonker-.
New York, a place Of nearly 100 600
people immecla;eiy adjoining New
York City, "a plan was formulated
that is known as the Eonkers plen
and is based on the idea that 10 is
not the part of the citizens 10 zee
that the laws are enforced but tho,
part Of the officials who are elected
or appointed and paid 10 enforce
those laws and who have sworn TO
do so. Briefly. the Yonkers plan
contemplate the contribution OF a
certain sum OF money each year by
citizens who believe IN law enforce
ment 10 be dlsbursed by a cOmpe-
a. n for q ..
dence OF law violations. and particu-
larly OF violations OF the prohibition
law, and attent and similar Grim
inality.
Contrary 10 the general course IN
the city antiCrlme citizen organize
ton. the YOnkers plan does not con
template any action before grand
Juries or an courts by the citizens
who have the evidence. The plan
contempiates the publication Of this
evidence properly buttressed lv
facts and proof. and the public cal
ing or official attention 20 &c. 20
help Will be given the officials. No
evidence viii be furnished them.
There VIII be repeated and explicit
publicity "a 20 conditions and the as
sumption and claim that the officta 4
can find our and stop and punfsk
these law violations ~ they VA
10. IT they DO not want % there
but two possible conclusions: TT
first IS that the officials arc incou =
peteut and must be removed: the
second IS that II they are not iu-
competent they are corrupt and
douoly must be removed First i'm
yestigatiOn and then continued arI
lnsisteut publicity is the basis OF
the loDkers plan. and 10 is securing
good results
The prohibition question s a.
paramount question I'm this countr-
IL Us NOT settled yet iu the minds ~
great many Americans. D. never
wil be settled until there is real en-
torcement Of the cav. 70 prove
whether that law is good or bad.
What has happene5 SO far has
proved nothing save that tho mora
fiber OF the United States Isn't
tenth az tough as the people an.
fond Of suppOsing. II the citizens
want prohibition. they can have h.
only by enforcing the law and prov
Ing that the law is good II thcv
do not want IT. the way out Is 20
enforce the law which they claim -
bad. and that enforcement. II tire
.aw is a bad one. will surely act 90
repeal the law. The matter ls en-
tirely ia the hands ~ the people.