The Nevada County picayune., 1922-01-26
WHAT ARE WE GOING
 TO DO ABOUT IT?

l W00le country. by tNtiy lohch ND
 colt and Nevada county are suffering in common with the whole country from this spirit and practice of brazen outlawry This was one of the first communities of the State to banish the legalized saloon by a special act of the State legislature We boast of one of the most active and aggressive chap ters of the Woman's Christian Tenn perance Union in the State. We have several strong and prosperous churches. The great majority of our citizens. Tn both town and country, are sober and law-abiding people. Our municipal, county and district officers are high l toned, honorable gentlemen. Our re- cent grand jury was composed of repre- sentative citizens And yet in spite of all these, and many other, favorable conditions which would seem to insure l the enforcement of our prohibition laws these laws are being openly and notor- iously disregarded. Stranger still, ap- parently, nobody cares. We seem to accept the situation as matter or course. Nobody seems willing, or ready, to lead crusade against the evil When one talks to the citizens about the matter they blame the off cers. Likewise. when the officers are consulted they blame ,the citizens. All parties seem content to pass the buck" and let it rest there. While our recent session of the circuit court was l in progress. and the grand jury was at work, drunken men walked the streets of Prescott and the scent of whiskey was no uncommon experience. X man was murdered on the principal business street of the city and 1t was commonly and openly alleged that the cause of the trouble was a quarrel about moonshine whiskey. If the grand jury took any notice of these things whatever the public has no knowledge of such acton on it's part. It is quite evident that no searching, or extensive. investigation occurred as the jury was only in session some three or four days. and found but nine bills. If there has been any general. or well defined sense of disappointment among our citizens over this. apparent. indifi- erence of courts and iuries to these notorious violations of the law this simple truth is that we seem to have gone to sleep and to he absolutely in different to a condition of affairs which | is dishonorng our city and county; cursiXg our citizenship; and ruining many of our boys Is if not time for us to wake up and do something to put down this evil?
 But the question which forms the caption of this paper keeps recurring what are we going to do about its I make no claim to superior wisdom when I venture to point out some things which are apparent to every thinking person who tries to answer this question,
 First of all we as citizcns must wake up. We must shake off our in- difference and snug eomplacency and begin to take an active and vital ln- tcrest in the enforcement of our laws. We must create sentiment and express that sentiment in every egitimate way.
 We must make the officers of the law feel that the great body of the citizen shin of our city and county are not only in sympathy with law enforce
 ment. but that we positively demand such enforcement. We must create a | sentiment which will make the mem hers of the next grand jury feel that the citizens of the county hold them morally responsible to make an honest and vigorous effort to find out the men who are violating the law and briu@ them before the court for trial
 In the second place we must insist
 that our officers both municipal and
 county. shall be more aggressive in their efforts to enforce the law I bring no railing accusations against
 these officers. As expressed above. l regard them as honorable gentlemen. and I cherish for them each and every one feelings of the kindest personal regard. I am not lmmindful of the