The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1925-06-26
THE AMERICAN ISSUE

from the states attorney and in those counties where
the states attorneys handling their local problems
successfully the commissioner would step in. On
The other hand such states attorneys desired the help
OF the office of the commissioner they could
upon request OF all fines and foeitures for the viola
ton of the prohibition law in county where the offense
is handled entirely by the states attorney there is no di-
vision of fines but all the money remains in the county
The adoption OF the commissioner bill would have
changed this i'll any manner The bill provided that the
division only when the state commissioner comes
in and actively does the work. and then the fines are
divided only in the cases he directly involved in
whatever money is realized the county from such an
investigation is entirely additional to the county.
We have in Illinois one hundred and two counties.
in approximately one-half securing very fine
degree of enforcement OF the prohibition law. In the
other one-half that degree varies from absolutely moth
ing up to fair average The only way we
enforcement of the prohibition law in this group OF
ties where enforcement has broken down today IS very
largely through the federal government, which means
that all fines and foeitures paid by the booeggers in
these counties go to the federal government, and our
and county governments do receive any of this
amount 1t this condition in these coun-
ties that the Anti-Saoon League asking for the ere
alton of a state enforcement bureau.
1t is that this office would have required initial
appropriations but this appropriation could only be looked
upon loan from the state to the commissioners office.
Every dollar thus advanced would unquestionably be
returned within few months with interest manifold
We evade the problem of law enforcement in
this We admit frankly that in many ocali
ties this problem is growing serious and more
santy Its whole purpose is to discredlt the
prohibition law and must meet this challenge OF the
ouawed liquor interests without evasion and with
resource of the great state of Illinois.
In the lower House in the session of the Legislature
Just closed the prohibition commissioner BILL which had
passed the Senate with safe majority defeated
final roll call with four votes short Ten members of
that House who drys, held themselves out to the
churches and the better citizens OF their communities
that they drys, that they stood for lawenforce
ment and the program of the AntiSaoon League, delib
eratey deserted this law enforcement program when
their desperately needed to enact this legsla
ton. The tragedy of the unaithulness of these
bers is in the fact that number OF them have repre-
scented their districts for number OF terms i'll the past
and have resisted the powerful influence that is al
ways brought to bear the members of the Legisla
ture but under the terrific power of the opposition
the commissioner bill finally surrendered and lowered
their co1ors to the enemy There is tragedy in
that is amentable than the deserton of soldier
soldier who deserts in the time of is despised by
his fellow men, and forever outcast without friends
and country. No greater warfare has been
waged for humanity than this warfare being
Quoted against the outlawed liquor traffic and greater
odum attached to the soldier who deserts his coors
than who betrays his friends in great moral
issue The question is shall deccncy and good govern
ment and the home and the church triumph shall the
outawed liquor traffic controlled by the organized boot
logger and moonshner, the gunman and the thug,
quer. There is not citizen the state of Illinois today
who honors constitution and laws, who loves
flag who should not come forward determinedy and
stand squarey out in the open at all times and enlist
the side of decent government to drive this outlawed
ro,1dfr The last Of o1Or Stat