Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-02-03
STATE C0NSTABULARY
BOOSTERS OUT AFTER
SYMPATHY OF PUBLIC
kept Press Moving Pictures Public Servants and Other
Forms of Publicity Used by Labor Hatcrs
To Spread Propaganda
VICTOR \. oLANDER ANSWERS CHICAGO "TRIB"

hand and pushing a motorcycle with
The other prepared for any enaer-
ReneY. would require about twelve
months 10 cover his beat onee'
THE whole proposition Is absolutely
ridiculous The maximum force pro-
Nided by the mll would enlarge this
ferce IN time 50 that they might ae-
tually have one such patroling con
stable on duty Ia each county.
"hsen the most casual examination
Of the language Of the bill which BY
the way. the Tribune has never un-
dertaken TO quote. would prove that
what | say is true. IL is not rural
police system that Ii being advocated
BY the proponents of the constabulary
bill. but small highly organised mill
iiary force clearly intended for polit-
ieal effect upon tho people.
THE sinister possibilities are Ahown
by the action thai the legislators of
West Virginia found IL necessary TO
take In relation To the cunstahulnry
of that state. They Incorporated
provision In the state law compelling
all members of the state eanstahulary
Ia remain away from the vicinity of
any voting or polling place during
elections and keep out of all nolitic-
al eaneuses and conventional
And that Ii the sort Of u force that
the proponents of the eonstabulary
bin in Illinois would turn loose upon
the people of our state. The whole
matter of policing our communities IL
one of considerable Importance and IL
IL source of regret 10 mo that this
grave question can not be discussed
between citizens without such careless
and reckless charges aa appear In the
Tribune that those who are opposing
the eonstabulary bill aid murJcrora.'
That Is the sort of language used by
,lemagogues who deliberately intend
to mislead and confuse their listen
ers. II the charge that those who
prevent the enactment Of law pro-
siding for an adequate system Of
rural policing are aiding murderers IL
justified in any way, then the charge
should be- made not against those who
oppose the Infamous police bill, but
against the proponents of the state
eonslahlhary hill who prevented thu
passage Of the rural patrol bill which
provided for a force Of from ten 70
fifty men In each county permanently
stationed In the rural communities
with county control and under q ayn@
tenn OF quick communication between
all counties. Organized labor an
eoufaged the consideration Of the lat
ter bill. The state eonstabulary peo-
Pile, however, made a furious attack
upon the rural patrol bill and prevent
ed It's passage In the House after II
passed the senate.
''1he trade unionists Of Illinois, ~
a
Grafton of Labor, have never offered
any objections To adequate police pro-
lection In any community. But they
do not propose 10 remain silent when
elements within the state
undertake to use the crime wave as q
cover under which 10 destroy the
American principle of local self-gov-
ernment by the revolutionary propos-
al to place the state under the die
tatorshlp Of a military officer who
viii have no responsibility to the peo-
pie.
"ln conclusion permit mo to say
that the final paragraph Of the Trib-
une editorial carries u statement
that seems 10 me very unfair TO the
present police and military system.
1t IL true, Of course, as the Tribune
says, that the present police and
militia could do all that we fear of
the state constabulary 'if' the po-
lice and militia had the desire and
power Fortunately, however, they
have no such power and hope they
have no such desire. Certain II ia
that neither the militia nor the police
are attempting to secure any suhc
power. | earnestly hope that the
Tribune will examine the constabulary
more carefully than II ap-
pears 10 have done before continuing
ife ettunort of tha fnaae,,re