The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-08-15
LAW ENFORCEMENT
IN GEORGIA URGED
LEAGUE DESIRES TO BE OF
SERVICE IN EVERY SEC
TON OF STATE.

Well meaning people in every part
OF the state interested in the enforce
ment of law. especially in the observ-
ance OF the prohibition laws, seem not
to understand that neither federal OF
fcers nor local officers are mind
readers. and that there is no detective
or spv system available Tor every COM
munity and every report OF violation
OF the law. 1t is not the practice nor
is if practicable for the officers OF the
law. especially the federal officers, to
discover violations that occur constant
~ in all parts OF the state.
Some times an officer detects a
crime and discovers unaided a still or
blind tiger or bootlegger's cache, but
in ninety per cent OF the cases the in
formation is furnished by interested
local people. There are thousands OF
them to every officer and it is easier
for private citizen TO get information
than it is for an officer Of the law
unless the officer is in league with the
evil doors.
Let me say to your readers: There
are no mind readers employed in the
state or by the federal government, no
miracle workers, and if an officer finds
a still and detects other crime it is
done on information furnished by
people who happen to know the facts
and who are willing to give the intor-
nation to the officers; that can be
done either direct or through the OF
fee of the Georgia League or other
agencies actively interested in the en-
forcement of the law. There seems to
be a general impression that the gov
eminent may send several men into a
community to work several days as
detectives to secure evidence OF viola
tons of the law. 1t would bankrupt the
country to do that 1t is much harder
for the officer, even il one should be
detailed to your community to secure
facts, than it would be for a private
citizen to discover the facts, and it is
binding on your honor and pressing
on your interest to assist the officers
in experimenting law breakers in back
ing courts and juries III convlcting
those who resort to this means for
making money or their living while
you and all good citizens are devot-
ing yourselves to useful employment
In a republic like this the people
are sovereign; there is no higher au
thority than you and your neighbOr
and you can not escape the response
bility you owe to your government
Every officer is entitled to your sin
cere support, and every law breaker
should understand that you are not
in sympathy with him and his pro-
gram.
If the press of the state will under
take to inform the public OF the neces-
sity, first OF local interest, and of the
Importance of furnishing informtion OF
laWlessness to the law officers, we
should be able to do much more than
has been done in the past to dSCOur
age the law breakers. 1t is a simple
process after the laW-abiding citizen in
his community understands that he is
responsible and that he must be will
ing to do something of a definite ma
ture if the spirit of laWlessness is to
be overcome and a safe condition es-
tablished 1t is an easy matter to fur
nsh definite information to the law
officers, and perfectly safe if the in
| formation is furnished federal Off
Ger or furnished to this Office OF the
Georgia League.
w ME no SOOu ClllZGll SuOulu ICdl
| to have his name mentioned in con-
nection with any movement for sup
pressing crime and disCOuraging Grim
| inals, it is true most OF them prefer
not to so expose themselves, and for
that reason we are very careful not
to say or do anything that will dis
close to the outlaw the identity OF the
| informer. Information furnished should
| be of definite nature 1t is not suffi-
Cient to say that they are selling whis-
| ky in a certain community or making
whisky on a certain creek or in Ger
! tain county. You can certainly say
how many miles north, south, east or
west OF the court house or the church
or some other land mark, and give
names even if you fail to give your
own.
The Georgia League is anxious to
be OF definite service i'll every county
of the state. We constantly receive and
furnish information that is valuable to
the officers and have contributed to
the cleaning up OF some very ugly
situations. The people who want the
law enforced in their county or COM
munity should not hesitate to write
the Georgia League, P. O. Box 1902,
| Atlanta.
JESSE +. MERCER, Sec'y.