, 1922-02-15

ticularly admire in Editor Ralph
Smith is his candor. There are few
secrets he keeps from his readers.
When his paper is shy on news, he
says SO; in explanation of several
large blank spots which appeared in
a recent issue, he tells us that it was
so cold that the ink froze in his well
ventilated building. the presses balk.
ed, and his fingers got so burned
numb he couldn't use 'em-difficulties
to discourage a less stout-hearted
journalist and publisher but borne un
complainingly by our esteemed con
temporary rel on the Greybull.
GT1f
We think that the Old Cattleman
who appears on the editorial page
produces some good paragraphs and is
an acquisition to our large and bril-
liant staff. Some day we are going
to write an article entitled: what
We Like About Ourselves"
ffTT
A prohibition ~lecturere stated re-
Gently in Cheyenne that there was no
distinction between the crime of rob.
berry committed by a bandit and the
crime Committed by one who accepts
by purchase or gift a bottle of wine
or beer.
The assertion was promptly chal-
lenged by Judge A. c. Campbell of
Denver, who called theattention of
the reformer to the fact that no less
a person than William Blackstone
made a very decided distinction be-
tween the two offenses. There are
crimes "mala in Sc" or act wrong in
themselves, and crimes "mala prohi
bita," or merely wrong because pro
hibited by statute. Robbery fell with
in the former and violation of the
prohibition law within the latter.
Judge Campbell added laconically
that the lecturer was either ignorant
or deceptive.
1fff
Let us consider the stool-pigeon-it
cost us twenty bucks t. view him al
close range.
We have met in our travels-which
have extended from the coast of La
brador to the interior of Spanish Hon
duras. V e the entire United States
and most of Europe-vermin, insects
and reptiles Of every description.
We have encountered all kinds O.
creeping and crawling things-scor
pions. ceptipedes, tarantulas, Gils
Monsters. rattlesnakes, horned toad,
and coolies and felt none of the dis
gust and loathing inspired by the pail
of stool-pigeons whom we had the op
portunity to observe during their visit
in Cody.
In a good many years Of newspaper
work on metropolitan papers, we have
come in contact with ho~rse-thieves,
burglars, counterfeiters. outlaws and
~murderers, and now. looking back up.
on their crimes and characters, they
seem like good citizens and men of
ho1or compared to the pair whose
acquaintance we have recently en-
ioyed.
Under false %pretenses. through mis-
representation, by means of lies, one
upon another. lies SO Grass and con-
Trajectory that they would have re-
fected upon the intelligence of a
Hltccn-ycdI-oiu DOf OCOutt tncy Gil
deavored to get evidence of the vio-
lation of the prohibition law from the
writer of this column for the purpose
of betrayal.
Failing to get this evidence, or in
formation concerning friends and &C
quaintances, they came out with the
bald proposal that we be a party to
their plan to make moonshine in a
mountain cabin which they already
had selected. They stated that their
financial requirements would be about
5000, and asked the loan of that
amount for a short period as they
were without money or resources. in
fact in such desperate straits that
the matter of food was a problem.
This trap was q last resort and set
for the purpose of giving us into the
hands OF tfhe authorities. licking their
chops and waiting to receive us.
We ask our readers il 1t is any won
der that this prohibition law and its
enforcement officers are held in such
a contempt as we never have known
in our time? Or is it surprising that
the feeling Of hatred against them
and their odious methods is rising
like a tide all I've the country?
We would say to the trainers of
this stupid plot that they should not
send boobs to do mems work.
Rrnan 0urnuNrn nrnFUFrN