The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-09-11
The Doctors Pet Law

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u letter from f. S. Shumaker, superin-
tendent Of the Indiana Anti-Saloon League
commenting on an editorial printed recently in
The Times in which part of an article by Dr.
Shumaker appearing in the Indiana edition of
the American Issue, prohibition publication
was quoted.
DR.. Shumaker takes exception to our
statement that the prohibition law is being
singled out for special attention by law en-
forcement officials, He says this is not true
in indianapolis because only per cent of the
Indianapolis police force is assigned to pro-
hibtion enforcement.
Assuming that DR.. Shumaker's statement
is correct what of it, Is not the Federal gov
eminent maintaining an enormous dry army
and dry navy for the purpose of prohibition
enforcement with considerable part of the
army in Indiana? Is not every sheriff, deputy
sheriff, constable, horse thief detective and
every other variety of snooper, official and
otherwise, in Indiana engaged almost alto
gether in the enforcement of prohibition or in
the violation of the rights of innocent citizens
in the name of enforcement
AS we have said repeatedly, as long as
prohibition is on the statute books, it should
he enforced Our contention is that other laws
should be enforced as well. 1t would be Just
unreasonable, or more So for the State or the
nation to spend millions of the taxpayers
money in running down bandits, burglars and
blue sky statesmen Why not robbery law
enforcement department.
George Winkler, Federal prohibition of
fcer is quoted by Dr. Shumaker as saying that
if the entire indianapolis police department
would go after liquor law violators in earnest
for sixty days they would at the end of that
time have got the gunner, filling station rob
bers and every other kind Of criminal Con
versely, if the Indianapolis police department,
working on the good doctor s theory, would 90
after the gunner, filling station robbers and
other criminals, along with prohibition law
volators, they would put an end to crime. In
cidently, one wonders why, with all the activ-
lty of Officer Winkler and his associates de-
voted to the enforcement of only the prohibi-
ton law, crime is increasing instead of de-
creasing.
But after all, the great danger in Indiana
lies not so much in the singing out of one law
for enforcement as in the activity of breath
smellers Ill annoying perfectly innocent indi-
viduals The situation has become so bad that
tourists actually are afraid to pass through In
diana. 1t has become so bad that the Hoosier
Motor Club has found it necessary to take up
the fight, not in opposition to prohibition but
in the interest of safety for motorists passing
through the state.
At any rate, the silent policeman can t sell
tickets
The first Johnstown food was water; the
second when Mayor Shank visited there re-
GENTLY was oratory.
That loud laughter was Democratic poll
ticians being neutral in the board of works in
vestigation.
Possibly the fact that the average house
holder is unarmed while the known bootlegger
totes gun may have bearing on recent Yew-
kant raids.
Yewkant enthusiasts are surprised that
motorists fail to detour through Indiana for
that lifetime thrill Of having their cars
searched for liquor.