South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-11-18

uar Endorsement o. his administration in the city.
He admits that they the candidates of the
city hall machine. exactly It presented to
the public before the election. but, Of course de-
MED until after the votes counted. The fact
was plain enough from Mr.. Jeson's cam
paigning and his announced platform Of "coopers-
ton with the city hall crowd by cooperating
with the police" but great majority of the voters
seem TO have thought that such Cooperation
would ue fine and they going 10 have Il.
Now. about February. mark the time-just before
the prmaries.-another great cleanup" is to be
staged they say. with the cooperation of the
prosecuting attorneys office, the victims will De
Jailed"
Perhaps so. But il the victims are jailed it will
have TO a different quality OF evidence than
they have had many times in the past: evidence
never obtained, perhaps. turned from whisky
into water the critical moment; evidence that
will be good. we are told because the ladies
going to be instrumental in getting it, and
and forth-evidence TO be gathered, not by the
police at ALL only to their credit when the ad-
minstration wants it. and to be denied
when for 5he purpose of getting primary votes the
denial will be more 6enehciaI in the particuler
neghborhood. Why wait ladies, until just before
the primaries to bring about this cleanup" II
is true as asserted that you are to have any
hand in it? Eventually, why now"
means simply that it will be used a club over
the heads Of the accused men, to make them do
the bidding of the city hall gang at the primary,
and that if they do that; well. there won't be
another election for q year-and they may be al
lowed to get If they don't do It, the city
hall gang is defeated. they go 70 Jail On the
other hand too be used TO
guile the virtuous people of the town and
particularly the who believe in decency and
into d,,,irf fic, ,II,-
with them, in the hope Of securing their support
also. All yes" they VIII say, this what we want
ed TO do all along. but until haven't had
a prosecuting attorney who would cooperate with
the police p"
That has their camouhage system since
Mayor Carson took office; frequent raids of dis
reputable resorts getting into the newspapers.
and then. securing evidence with which to go
trial blaming the prosecuting attorney because
obliged dismiss the cases for being unable
TO convictions. They didn't convictions.
What they wanted a record for making ar
rests their part and of failures convict
part of the prosecutor, all for party effect and
beguile and befool the voters
\ womans civic league in South Bend. Intelligent
and nOn-partisan enough, not to be humbugged by
such camouhage methods can be of great service
to the city and should be encouraged. can be of
great not only in matters public morality
things To be worthy of the name and worthy Of
support however. it NEST not permit itself TO de-
generate into PARTISAN aid society employing it's
announced -partisanship to strengthen its par
tisan force
What the say they in mind as a
program for their proposed civic league is exactly
what the women may well co. but there are women
politicians well politicians and experience
other cities where female suffrage
has been the vogue longer than here it is notable
that these women politicians are quite as willy
and INSCRIPTIONS some Of the males: just as
susceptible to intrigue and connivance are their
brothers. We pass this comment along "a a word
OF warning rather than of suspicion; warning 10
those women who really to be right and do
right, and TO whom -partisanship doesn't mean
mono Dartisanship in disguise who care more for
the public welfare generally. than for partisan
victories.
The women of every community. now that theb
have the ballot should the heart of it, indeed
the soul In fact they always have been but
with the ballot in their hands they ought to be able
10 it strengthen the community backbone:
its moral SPINE. Men of Massachusetts," said
Charles Sumner. in slavery days. we need three
things The first is backbone; the second is back
bone, and the third backbone" and it is the
en- OF moral courage and men of moral strength
If womans civic league generate these
things. and place the end to be attained above the
means. eliminating partisan selhshness, and work
ing for the public good very well. Everybody
should be for il. We Will be.