The copper era and Morenci leader., 1921-09-23
Cassidy Makes Dry Program
 Public

PhoeniX-Strict enforcement of the Volstead act, without fear or fav- or will be the policy of M E. Cassi- dy, of Bisbee, who has assumed the work of federal prohibition director for. the state of Arizona. Cassidy's work will include the enforcement and permit division of the law. The new official, whose appointment was announced last month succeeds Will T. Webb, who has served since the Volstead act became a law A speci- al agent of the department in Wash ington is in Phoenix checking over the office with MT. Cassidy
 Declaring firmly against the boot legger and the breaking of the law by anyone, MT. Cassidy is equally determined that the agents of the department shall uphold the law The questions have been asked :: What will be my prohibition enfor- cement policy, and what is the at titude of the administration? said MT. Cassidy yesterday. ''The eigh. teenth amendment is a part of the constitution. The enforcement act is a United States statute. That is my answer Strict enforcement is my policy-obedience to the law. It will be carried out without fear or favor
 Even were prohibition still ar
 open question, it must be remem
 bered that here in Arizona public
 opinion has twice decisively spoken,
 he declared. When the issue was
 for the second time submitted to the people in 1916. it carried by a ma jority of 11,094. In Santa Cruz, the
 only county where it was defeated
 it lost by one vote.
 T am well aware that efficient en
 forcement includes not only the ap
 prehension of the hip-pocket boot
 legger; the a)rinGing to justice o those engaged in the traffic on Il large scale, but it includes as wei the fact that prohibition agents mus :, themselves keep within the law. N
 deviation from the strict line of. thei
 lawful authoritE1 will be tolerated
 Should any such dereliction occu
 during my term of office, I vii
 thank any citizen, and. for that mat
 ter, any bootlegger, to bring it t. , my attention.
 : All federal prohibition enforce ment agents are obliged to carr ' commissions with them in thei } work Tn addition to the commissfo . uSCldt dilOH ttteTe are pnOIOSGdpllS O ' them. l would suggest to citizen. generally who may be stopped or il 1 terrogated, especially at night, ol = the question of the Volstead act, tha they ask the question direct if tn officer is federal officer If tn
 answer is in the affirmative, the O
 ficer's authority should be asked fo = and the commission shown. In cas 3 the officer can not satisfy the citize l. he is asked to make a full report ( : the matter to the federal prohibitio T director at Phoenix, Ariz.
 | 'Impersonating a federal officer [ a felony and it behooves every goo 9 citizen to lend his assistance in brin d ing cases of this nature to the a e tention of the proper authorities. l. ''I am entering upon my dutie n with the firm conviction that nothiu r. less than a fearless, vigilant, deterr
 ined campaign against law violatiC
 in all forms will meet with any d
 gree of success, but, more than tha h I am confident that a stamping ol il of the vice can be accomplished on f. through the unqualified support V the law-abiding citizens, and I ther If fore urgently call upon all the cit v zens to lend their earnest cooper n tion to the performance of this pu $ lie service.''