Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-02-17


This autocratic chief named for life,
before I go any further / will say
that / will be accurate in this) ap-
pears a few words which, says the
chief, may be removed By the COVER
nor for certain misdeamors.
If ! failed 10 tell you about that,
someone would tell you that | did
not tell you the truth. Yes the bill
does say that, because the eonstruc-
tion of the statutes of Illinois has that
language in it, and then there are
some words following that which the
gentleman who drafted the measure
went 50 far in this purpose as to
endeavor to write a provision upset
ting some Of the confessional re-, 1ire-
ments of the state. The governor
may remove any officers in that state
under the constitution Of Illinois for
these provisions that | have stated,
but the bill provides that before he
can do so, he must file a written
statement of his reasons with the
Secretary of the State. That is just
a cunning way of multiplying, or at
tempting TO nullify the constitution.
The appointment, you understand, Is
for life, no limited term. That ought
to convince you that the rest of the
snake ought to be worth looking at.
want TO show you some of its fangs.
Here comes a section of the bill given
to the commanding chief, who as
have indicated Is appointed for life,
power TO appoint his entire force for
such term as he may see fit, to hire
and fire, to dismiss, promote, or de-
mote, all troops, under rules and reg
ulations agreeable TO himself. The
force as provided in Senate Bill So,
and that bill was identical with the
House Bill, is to consist, not Of men
who are required to have police eXpe-
rience, not of men who can show
qualifications as criminal chasers but
of men who have the physical quality
and mental requirements and quail
tications required for candidates for
similar positions in the u. S. Army.
All through the bill runs this military
character.
Another section of the bill pro-
vides that this autocratic force shall
have the right not only TO arrest,
to serve warrants, but also to arrest
any citizen who they believe has been
guilty of some crime. That Is to
say, they are to have absolute au-
thority in such matters. No provis-
ion is made as to what shall be done
with criminal when he is believed
to be guilty. IL does not specify
where he is to be brought.
We now come to another section
which provides that this force shall
have the powell to enter any local
community at any time its officers
see fit and the power goes so far
that even private in the ranks has
the same authority as the local off
cials, the states attorney, the mayor,
the chief of police, etc.
You all know that the Irish con
stabulary is a political police force,
never used and never intended for
prevention of crime. The constabu-
larry was used purely for political
work, and there is no reason for me
to go over that reason with you, as
it deals with our sympathy in refer
ence to the Irish cause. We know
that force was political police
placed in that country. Who among
us has not at one time or another
been told of daring acts, of worthy
acts on the part of individual mem
bers of that organization, but | deal
not with the individual, but with its
system and it's purpose. | think that
you will agree with me that the time
has not come when we should have
the equivocal of the Irish constabu-
larry among the people of Illinois.
According to the moving pictures
that were presented to you, it would
~ l1A httlu
must have been born here in Cham
paign County. would not charge
Champaign County with anything of
that kind, and | happened to know
that so far as this state is concerned,
its first appearance was on La Sale
Street in Chicago, and only after
wards did it reach down into Cham
paign County.
The Illinois bill is patterned after
the Pennsylvania constabulary, and
the Pennsylvania constabulary is a
copy of the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Backers of the proposed Illinois
constabulary tell us the Pennsylvania
constabulary was instituted in Phil
adelphia for the protection of the
farmer, and it is having splendid re-
suits. Now let us travel to Pennsyl-
vania with our thought for moment
and see whta we discover there. After
| had listened to the story, not being
altogether sure that could rely upon
those who were telling it, turned to
see what the facts were. | sent fol
the report for the state constabulary
of that state. | got a map of Penn
sylvania and | chalked on that mar
the position of the barracks, and as
| looked over it found that the west
ern side was the great coal district
Pittsburgh and those spots, and on
the other side was the great mining
region, and down through the center
of the state was the great agricul-
tural district, and as my pencil tray
elled over the map in the coal and
mining sections around the vicinity
of Pittsburgh, my pencil never got
to the 200 miles of the northern part
of the state, nor never reached the
center of the great railroad shops and
industrial centers. So | sought then
to find out where their sub-stations
were because they say the barracks
We're naturally put there and | still
took my pencil and chalked the sta
tons, and in all the reports, could
not lind single instance of a single
sub-station on the farms of Pennsyl-
vania.
am sure that no body of bust
ness men who are interested in the
public welfare will support the Dun
lap bill. | will confess that when |
said that undoubtedly Senator Dunlap
had informed the business men, his
own associates in Champaign, of the
condition of that measure that | had
IA little sarcasm in mind.