The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-12-30

Chicago papers are carrying column
OF reports of widc-open conditions i
that city. The Chicago Daily Tribun
oil December announced seve
deaths in four days directly attribui
able to bootleg liquor The Chicag
Daily News OF December o in an ed
torial said:
Last Saturday night in a Chi
cago saloon not 100 yards from
the Offices of the mayor and the
general superintendent oil the po-
lice, an unprovoked double muir
der was committed by man who
during the greater part OF the
afternoon had been drinking liq-
uor that was served openly in the
resort to anyone who asked for it.
Present in this law-breaking sa-
loon were an assistant to the
states attorney of Cook county
he has since resigned-two for
mer judges of high courts of Cook
county, and numerous other men
prominent in political affairs.
Within the district surrounding
the city hall are other saloons OF
the same kipd and throughout the
city are scores OF places where
liquor is sold openly and appar-
entity without fear of molestation.
The city authorities must know
OF them but little if any attempt
is made to close them or prevent
their selling liquor until the pub
lies attention is called to them by
murder or some other crime
Befoie Prohibition was cstab
lished by law whisky was filling
the prisons with criminals, the
asylums with insane, the poor
houses with paupers. and the
cemeteries with dead. MOON
SHINE HAS BROU G. II I
ABOUT NO NEW CONDI-
TON NOW THAT IT IS PRO
NOTING MURDERS SO Eff
FECTUALLY. T II + N + w
MANIFESTATIONS OF DEV-
ILTRY IS THAT OF THE
PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO
THOUGH FULLY ARMED
WITH THE POWER OF THE
LAW. FAIL TO PUT OUT OF
BUSINESS THE LAWLESS
MEN WHO ARE MAKING
FORTUNES OUT OF MOON
SHINE AND INCIDENTALLY
PROMOTING CRIME.
And what arc the mayor and III
chief OF police OF the city of Chicag
doing to suppress this lawlessness an
to support the Constitution OF tn
United States? The Anti Saloo
League and the Chicago Law and Or
der League have been bombardin
both these officials with appeals t
exercise their power and direct tn
police to close these illicit liquor-sel
ing establishments. Thus far littl
has been done by either the mayor @
the chief of police The newspaper
of December 6, however. announc
that the mayor has asked for an an
alysis from Corporation Counsel II
telson OF the Illinois dry law to deter
mine just what the mayors respons
bility is. The news item closes wit
this statement
If the opinion holds, it is the
duty of municipal officers to en-
force the law bearing on search
and seizure, it is thought in some
quarters that the mayor may order
Chief OF Police Fitzmorris to close
all saloons where intoxicants are
sold.
What traycsty! The mayor c
the second largest city OF the Unite
States protesting to be in doubt as t
his duty with reference 10 closing il
situations outlawed by the Constitu
ton OF the United States, and institu
tons which he knows are promotin
crime in his city Chicago is furnish
ing striking example Of the necessit
of the voters electing public official
to enforce the dry law who take thei
oath OF office seriously and who are /
sympathy with the Prohibition policy
The liquor interests are pleading
for the repeal of the Prohibition lay
on the theory that Prohibition is tn
cause OF murder and crimes such a
Chicago is now experiencing. To tn