Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-14
THE DRUG RING DIGS IN
TO FIGHT OFF EXPOSURE
Elaborate BarrIeades Are Being Erected
to Prevent the Spread Of Judge
Monaghan's Inquiry

IF JUDGE MONAGtAN inquiry INTO
the underground drug traffic is per-
mitted to continue uninterrupted In
normal course 1t will not end with Phila-
delphia. 1t will not end with New York.
It will include moro than the victims OF
the drug ring and more than an occasional
small peddler with political affiliations.
Such n survey as Is now in It's first
stages here would I'm the course of time
become national in its scope and its signif-
cancc. because the nature Of inevitable dis
closures would be such as to bring the mind
Of the country TO amazed attention and
shock members Of Congress and the State
Legislatures into n belated sense Of their
responsibilities in what is little less than
new national crisis
Drug syndicates with political protection
are rs great menace TO the country's
safety as an invading army and greater
danger to public health and morals than the
whisky traffic ever was. Random crusndes
will not seriously hinder their operations.
Were the inquiry begun in. Judge Mon
aghan's court TO end with Philadelphia 1t
would and could do little permanent good.
Even if the work of Judges and the District
pedders from this community the central
problem would remain and the ugly business
would be resumed after n short time.
Drugs would inevitably flow in from un-
regulated and unprobed areas. We should
be in the position OF a prohibition town In
the midst Of a thoroughly wet country.
The great value Of Judge Monaghan's
crusade lies, therefore, in its Importance
ss direct and intelligent approach to very
much larger tasks. 1t can be at best be
ginning, not an end. No single court can
hope TO deal una!dcd with the drug evil or
even uncover half the truth about It.
The drug merchants and their financial
and political hackers know this. They
know that If the investigation Is permitted
to gain momentum its force and influence
will be cumulative. No sort OF political
power will be strong enough to stop 1t or
prevent moral reactions of a sort that would
compel the enactment Of efficient drug laws
in Congress and the State Legislatures.
All the energies of the drug ring and its
associated groups will be directed from this
on not alone 70 protect relatively small Of
tenders already in jail or under surveillance,
but 10 confuse and delay and obstruct the
progress of the investigation IN this par
tiCular locality.
The tactics of lawyers for the defense will
be directed with a view to tiring the in
vestigators out. The details of the Amrri-
can criminal code are devised with view
10 the protection OF the innocent. All sorts
! OF safeguards are thrown about the accused,
| since II IS the sense Of the law that 1t IS
better to let the guilty escape than to
| punish and disgrace one who happens to
| be innocent while seeming to be guilty.
So It happens that the mechanism Of law
and the courts may often be turned to the
service of criminals and relied upon to
protect enemies Of society and the State,
II. By legal duibbling and resort to COM
| pltCatcd legal formulas and a general rear
guard campaign Of defense carried or
without a thought of trouble or expense
the work Of the public authorities can be
delayed even for time, the institution Of
done will be relatively safe. The aggres
s!ve force Of public opinion, upon which
men Ike Judge Monaghan must rely for {
large part Of their influence and their in
sp!ration. will be lessened. There will be {
slarken!ng OF the energy of movemen
devised TO let daylight IN upon one Of th
great social horrors Of the times. The moot
Of the public, which naturally would express
ttseIf in anger and a demand for scient!f
0nd consistent legislative action, wi!
change and pass.
So. It Is to gain time that the lawyer
for the drug syndicate Will fight from nov
on. They will labor with view to OBJ
structing the investigation and with III
hone that, If the lid can be kept down fo
n while, the enthusiasm of the prosecutio
will abate with the interest and curosit
of the general public.
Tho proposal 10 put a $1,000 "dru
fund" at the disposal Of the District At
torney, which will be finally submitted
the CITY Council today, ought, therefore
20 be passed at once. Indeed, It is a ques
zion whether there should not be immedlat
nrovtsion for a far larger fund to be use
as Judge Monaghan and the District At
torney may direct In the fight 10 prever
the stendy spread Of the drug trade and II
drug habit, lmttless funds will be at Il
disposal Of the groups which have set o,
to keep the truth about dope and the dol
, trade from the people Of the country.
Z Neither Council nor the Legislature N
Congress itself can afford to withhold a
sistance from those who, with wholly II
ADEQUATE means and weapons at their di
nosal, are trying TO prevent in America Il
= increasing moral and physical degenerat!c
8 which attends the spread of the most d