The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-01-13


term expires the first of next January
was cracked wide open this morning
when Attorney M. G. 0'Donnell one of
the older members Of the bar of Ke-
nosha county issued an announcement
that he would be candidate for the
Office at the elections to be held in
April of this year.
O'Donnell announces his candidacy
in a sizzling statement in which he
criticizes the conduct Of the court and
in which he asks people who believe
that his diagnosis of the court is cor
rect to support him in campaign for
election. The statement came as
something of mild sensation to mem
bers of the bar and court officials in
the city.
Comments on Number of Arrests.
In opening his broadside against the
court O'Donnell makes some pertinent
comments on the number of arrests
in Kenosha during the year just closed
and intimates that if proper punish
ments had been melted out the num-
Der of arrests would have been great
ly reduced,
GAS a practicing attorney at law in
Kenosha," says Mr.. O'Donnell, in his
carefully prepared statement, II desire
to make some comm nts on the figures
given in the Kenosha Evening News of
January 7, 1920, purporting to have
come from Secretary Meissner Of the
police department, on the subject of
arrests for the year 1919 showing a
total of 2754 and for the year 1920
showing a total of 1882 and which
shows difference between the two
years of only 21s, and this in view of
che fact that the 18th amendment to
che constitution Of the United States
(Which is law to be enforced as much
as any ordinance of the City of Keno
sha) went into effect July /, 1920-and
which should have cut down the ar
rests for 1920 to about 400, instead
of the total above given"
Blames Court for Condition.
Mr. O'Donnell in his statement pro-
ceeds to analyze the conditions. He
says:
First. j submit that it is fault
of the court, and that the above fig
ures show to the mind of any reason
ing person of Kenosha that there is
something covered up with reference
to that court and a proper administra-
tion of the law"
81 submit that there is no reason
for such figures, except that said court
is run particularly to the end Of show
ing to the members of the County
Board that said court is money-mak-
ing business thereby satisfying said
Boards lust for profit in the shape of
dollars instead of justice for which
said court was started.
81 submit that the half death drunks
(moonshine whisky victims) business
which now is bringing many dollars
to said court for said county boards
consideration Gas a reason why said
court should be continued for the fnan-
cial ACKNOWLEDGMENT of court officials,
and perpetuate politicians in ofice) -
should be wholly eliminated, and I as
sert that such a result can be obtain
ed by making the fines the highest
the law will allow, instead of $100 and
costs as at present, which produces
an atmosphere about the court which
IS conducive to and encourages more
arrests, and will eventually bring the
administration of justice by said court
In disrepute.
~ submit that there are saloon keep
ers in Kenosha who would not enter
tain the thought of violating the 18th
Amendment to the Constitution for a
minute, and that such DRINKS bust
ness does not rest upon their shoulders
nor are they responsible for these ar
rests that | speak of.
Automobile Speed Laws.
Second. I submit that there is an
abuse of the law as to violations of the
automobile speed laws; that the man
hunting now carried on in connection
with fast driving is bringing about ar
rests often without due respect to the
provisions of the law, and innocent
persons are made to pay fines when
they should never have been arrested
at all; this is also in my opinion for
the same purpose of showing the me-
cessity for said court to exist, on ac-
count of the enormous amount of bust
ness for it to do"
Third. I submit that said court is
no place where the administration OF
law, and particularly with reference ia
divorce cases, should be in accordance
with private views of the court; and
that the. granting or not granting of
divorces should be concerned with the
fact that in the light of the law mar
riage is a contract which can be brok-
en- the same as any other contract
and if the contract is broken di-
vorce should be granted according as
the Statutes of Wisconsin provide"
Would Throw Searchlight.
with the foregoing in mind, am
making this announcement to the end
thu owing a searchlight on the matters
set forth, and to find out if the masses
of the people Of Kenosha, Wisconsin,
want some one to be Judge Of that
court who will handle it not for the
money that is in it, not for the pur-
Rose Of putting over private views as
distinguished from legal views, regard
less of the fact that a changing of the
atmosphere of the court to healthy
one may lose someone his job, l wish
to submit that am that man.