The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-06-18
Times Readers
Voice Vices
Editor OF The indianapolis Times:


Without mentioning my name in
an editorial in Mondays issue of
your paper you speak of me as de-
string to deny a law-breaker his
rights guaranteed under the Con-
stitution of the United States. This
statement of your, similar to a state
ment published in the Chicago
Tribune, is far from telling the
truth. In my opinion no citizen Of
the United States should be per-
mitted, if violating the law Of his
country, to cover up his crime behind
any so-called screen OF constitutional
rights. II his rights should be
trampled upon he has his recourse to
proceedings in our courts. Putting
it in another way, have always be-
lieved that, if an officer in arresting
person found in the act of violating
the Eighteenth Amendment to the
Constitution of our country actually
inveighs against the Fourth Amend
ment, then two crimes have been
committed and not one, and both
criminals should be punished and
not both be permitted to go free.
I know nothing about the circum-
stances of the arrest of the young
lady in her car by the sheriff of this
county and his deputies. The courts
will as you say settle that matter
and we trust they will settle it right.
I will say. though, that one of my CO.
workers in the Anti-Saloon League
has In the last three years travelled
in car over $4,000 miles over this
least $4,000 in a car. and another
perhaps 100000 They have been out
at all hours of the day and might
and in almost every nook and corner
of .the State. Not in a single in
stance have they been held up or
their cars searched.
On Jan. 81 last Senator Arthur
Robinson addressed a mass meeting
on very rainy afternoon in Cadle
Tabernacle. The newspapers said
there were at least $500 persons
present. /, myself, took a vote of
the congregation asking how many
in the audience owned and travelled
in cars. Hundreds of hands went
up. l asked them to be perfectly
frank and tell us by raising their
hands how many had ever been
stopped by officers of the law and
their cars searched. Two hands
went up. but these persons did not
stay to explain to us the circum-
stances. 1 asked how many had
never been stopped and their autos
searched. Hundreds of hands went
up. ! asked them how many came
from homes that had ever been
searched by officers of the law with
or without proper search warrants
for the possession of liquor. Not
hand went up.
AS a rule officers OF the law know
who are the persons violating the
prohibition laws. They know the
kinds of cars that rum runners use
and they know the numbers of the
cars. Once in a while a mistake
may occur. but any officer who is
a gentleman-and he should not be
allowed to remain an officer If not
a gentleman--if he does inadvertent-
ly search a car by mistake should
make due apology for a wrong I'M
Intentionally done. And any citizen
of this republic who is worthy Of
the rights and guarantees of our
American Government should be
willing to stand whatever temporary
inconvenience he may be put to
should an officer make a mistake
and look into his car when he is
innocent. He can hardly claim to
be a good citizen if not willing, be-
fer nothing if his car is searched,
while a guilty citizen does not want
his car examined.
Why this hue and outcry against
the occasional stopping and search
ing of rum runners car? Why
does The Times consider a possible
mistake made by officers Of the law
in one instance in the searching Of
a party's car and overlook the hum
dreds of instances where cars carry
ing white mule somehow or other
manage to escape the vigilance of
officials? Is the Fourth Amendment
to the Constitution OF greater value
than the Eighteenth Amendment?
Which of these amendments is the
enc most often violated? Sir. with
all the widespread newspaper at
tacks upon the Eighteenth Amend
ment, and the discreditable things
being said by so many newspapers
about prohibition, there Is no won
der that criminals are emboldened
to pursue careers of crime as are
now taking place throughout our
country.
Mr.. Summers, Congressman from
the State of Washington, Jan. 20,
i'm the House Of Representatives.
made the following terse statement:
when we take liquor law en-
forcement out of politics and put the
rich violator and the poor violator
OH the same rock pile, we will have
respect for law. The paddock and
rock pile will give results. Yes,
and there are two others that ought
to be on the same rock pile-the
foreign diplomat, who breaks our
laws. and the public press, which
feeds its readers distorted news
morning. noon and night-365 days
in the year. These are doing more
to break down the respect for law
than all the anarchists that ever
landed on Ellis Island"
e. S. SHUMAKER,
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