The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-09-25

becoming accomplices in crime"
az want to say too," said Reverend
Martin, "that have the utmost respect
and confidence for the city manager
form of government and that it has
done much to advance Kenosha. Per-
haps it has handled the law enforce
ment question better than it would
have been handled in others hands.
officials, however, should recognize
that if they are to remain in power
they must keep the support of the
better people of the community; GER
tainlyF these one hundred and two, re-
ferring to those who had secured
them in power" s@H
Describes Illicit Traffic.
Reverend Martin went in detail to
describe the situation which exists in
Kenosha as regards the Illicit traffic
in liquor and told some Of the evils
which rise from it.
81 am not sorry that prohibition Is
the law Of the land" he declared.
"Bad as conditions are now, no one
who makes a serious study of the sit
uation is so foolish as to believe that
the situation is not better than it was
when people were openly licensed to
sell liquor"
He declared that "moonshine liquor"
caused the trouble today which licensed
whiskey had caused in pre-Volstead
days and that both were Objectionable.
II do not want to go back to the
past" he declared, "but this should not
prevent US from lettering the present"
81 will say" be continued, after read
ing the list of names of men who held
Glass A permits in Kenosha, shat this
seems to be worse crowd than those
we had running the saloons in the
olden days. One-half of, these are men
who make little pretensions of being
real American citizens and who pre-
sumo for a price paid to the city for
a permit to sell liquor"
He then proceeded to show some Of
the things that were caused by this
illicit traffic. He told of husbands and
fathers spending their incomes in these
soft (?) dring parlors, of women whose
hearts were broken and lives ruined
because of them, of children in need
of the necessities Of life because of
the "grog shop around the corner"
"My first funeral in Kenosha was a
result of one of these soft drink par
lors," he declared, "and there have
been others since that could be direct
ly traced to the horrid traffic"
Plague of Road Houses.
"This plague of road houses that is
springing up over this county is omin-
ous," he continued. "Take little ride
towards Waukegan on the Sheridan
road or.out any other leading highway
from Kenosha and ask yourself wheth-
er any man in his right senses will be
satisfied to sell soft drinks in these
soft ca drink parlors. 1t is foolish
to think that these places are erected
for that; they would not last two weeks
selling soft drinks and that alone"
In reading the list of holders of per-
no doubt there were q few men and
companies listed there who were keep
ing the law but that the majority of
them, on the very face of it, were evil
IDENTIFY securing the permit for the ex-
press purpose of disobeying the law.
Suggests the Remedies.
In closing his address, Reverend
Martin suggested what he believed
should be done to remedy the situation.
He urged first of all that public
opinion demanding the enforcement of
law be expressed so clearly that the
city and county officials would either
be forced to enforce the law or step
out and let those take. their places
who would head the wishes of the
people. He suggested that if no other
way could be found another grand jury
investigation would not be amiss. He
also pointed out that the response
bility resting with every resident of
the community could be recognized on
election day when voters could re-
member to vote for men who have
consciences, who will prosecute and see
to it that law is enforced.
City and county officials were sent
notices of the meeting and in the
throng that crowded into the church
were many who are in authority, both
IN the city and county. 1