The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-07-03
OUR SPLENDID ISOLATION.

Someone should inform the federal govern
rnent that Kenosha is a part of the old y. S. A.,
and as a part contributes considerable sum
in federal income taxes and that as a contrl-
buting member of the government THIS. CITY
should have some service from the federal
agents. Racine, Sheboygan and other cities IN
Wisconsin have recently been visited by the
helped little, at least, to get rid OF the Illicit
trading in booze.
The federal agents should be told that it is
only ten miles from Kenosha to Racine and
there is a paved road all the way and that
working in Kenosha might yield just as much
of successful raidng as working in Racine
Kenosha county does not desire to have all
of it's raiding done by flake" agents who hold
their victims for ransom. However, if the fake
agent can find men with liquor to sell and with
willingness to sell it, it is not improbable that
dyed in the wool federal agent might be able
to find at least the odor of liquor in the county.
One thing is certain, and that is that If the
federal government never sends it's agents into
this county, it is decidedly improbable that
they will ever know conditions here or do any
thing to better these conditions
The suggestion is made that the absence Of
the federal agents from Kenosha county sug-
gests that the government is pretty well sat
isfed with the way the law is enforced by Ke-
nosha county officials. Be that as it may, any
one who has been about Kenosha county knows
that there is work enough to keep both the
federal, county and city, agents busy here for
several days and that even with twenty-four
hour service over considerable PERIOD there
would be still considerable trickle of illicit
liquor in the direction of thirsty outlets.
Kenosha does not care for the splendid iso-
lation that has been thrust upon it by the fed
eral government People here who believe in
the enforcement of the law are just sordid
enough to believe that Kenosha should have
some of the enforcement it is paying for and
that this enforcement should come from the
federal government.
Federal agents. are sufficiently. scarce in Ke-
nosha county to make them strangers to the
booze selling class Their. appearance here
would not cause the telephone to tinkle in
every place where liquor is sold and before
their identity is reached too far it might be
possible for good agent with couple helpers
to fill pretty good sized jail.
Kenosha seems to be about the only city
in the state in which these fellows have not
"swooped down.. It would be interesting to get
a closeup view of the ability of these agents.
Kenosha is entitled to have chance to form it's
own opinion as to whether or not the prohibit
ton laws can be enforced. Certainly they cam
not be enforced by the federal government if
the busiest territory for the booze maker and
the booze runner in Wisconsin is entirely over
looked. If the federal government wants to
know conditions here, the best possible way is
to get it's information by personal contact.
Such contact would be enlightening to the fed
eral government and uplifting to the moral
conditions in Kenoshae county. Local officials
are always ready to give every possible CO.
operation, but it might be interesting to see
the federal agents come in and stage just one
crusade Of their own.