The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-02-22
pRoHlBrrlos PROFANITY AND woMAsHooD
miami fribune)

In the matter of national prohibition and its en-
forcement The Tribune, a representative news
paper, always has tried to be impartial and fair.
minded. In its editorials this necessarily delicate
subject it has pointed out from time to time that
despite the obvious defects of the prohibition law
long as it remains law it should be obeyed-nsst
ing, nevertheless that attempt be made to remedy
some of those defects The abuses of enforcement,
as stated above, are manifold; and probably no
could be found which better typifies the growing
spirit of iawessness among irresponsible enforcement
officers than just at hand.
The Tribune on Thursday printed telegraphc
dispatch concerning Miami prohibition enforcement
officer and three of his associates. all of whom are
accused of malpractice in connection with series of
raids conducted by the quartet in Key West. One
W. A. Dickinson fictitious name given by the of
fcer, but one which win do well any others
under arrest charged with assault and battery the
person of woman, while other war. .nts charged his
companions with assault and theft Sheriff Curry,
of Key West is authority to the international News
Service for the statement that two taken by
these Miami raiders were brought to the Island City
jail handcuffed and that when of them objected
to this brutal treatment she slapped.
be more startling if out of the ordinary
But if there excuse for the conduct of these
officers pursuit of their duties. there be
for the boorish action of prohibition officer at
the headquarters office where for the purpose of
interview he sought by woman reporter in the
employ of this newspaper He objected to the tone of
the story from Key West. In particular he was Of
Tended by the paragraph in it which described Dick
inson's" conduct toward the women prisoners. He
despised he said not only the person who wrote the
story but the entire organization of the paper that
printed it. In short he upset to such extent
that he had mind to go down there and beat up
the whole emphasizing his displeasure with
torrents of abuse and cOpous profanity directed at
the lady who had to interview him.
Now it may be that enforcement practitioner
has been unjusty accused in the matter of his deal
ngs with women prisoners.
Yet it comes home with remarkable clarity.
TO dsinterested observer. that any capable of
such linguistic abuse dealt out to The Trbunes
representative woman mind you-is wholly capable
of physical abuse should the occasion arise.
Obviously. the head of the enforcement service
in this district cannot be blamed, except insofar
he may be responsible for such inscriptions be-
ing in his department. yet someone should be made
to account for such utterly depraved and ludicrOus
actions.
AS before stated. The Tribune has desire to
take sides in the matter of enforcing the prohibition
laws, except to stand by and to the extent of its
ability that justice is done; but it is this of
thing which Is rapidly losing for the Eighteenth
Amendment its best friends II the amendment Is
-E =
with any sort of cooperation the part Of news
papers and the public these outrages must become
less frequent. There <houls be no room in any de-
partment Of the government for individuals of the
type of this Dickinson" And this much is certain
whatever the enforcement department elects to do
shout it