Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-22

iproper processes Of our democracy. The
duty to enforce the law rests upon every
public of1ciAl and the duty to obey ~
rests upon every citizen. No tnd1v1dual
has the right to determine what law
shall be obeyed and what law shall nut
be enforced If a law Is wrong it, rigid
enforcement Is the stIrest guarantee OF
its repeal. II 1t Is right Its enforcement
Is the quickest method of compelling req
spect for 1t. 1 have seen statements
published within few days encouraging
citizens to defy law because that para
ticular Journal did not approve OF the
law itself. leave comment on such
an attitude to any citizen with sense
OF public responsibility.
Sergeant Aaron and Sergeant Hury
front and center!" -
Now some OF the good supporters ID
law" protest that the prohibition forces
are outside the reservation, for are they
not slaughtering many innocent citisefls
mercilessly? Have the. prohibition ON.
GERS right to shoot down man wne'
simply fails to obey his order to halt,
on the public highway, where there are
many robbers? Should not the pro-
hibition officers be disarmed and re-
quired to act like trafic cop who
simply t,icks q card of ceremony and
and the. host was not at home? Is
it not time to stop the slaughter of the
| innocents?" 81
Even our state Department IL asks
| ing the Treasury Department to count
the slain apd report why. In the
meanwhile, the preachers viii explain
about, 1t Sunday, June 3d. $500 as
This is what some may tell with ack
curacy. according to ofacial declare-
| ton: > rs
The Federal prohibition officers have
not slain yictim-not one--in the last
nine months. They have faced bootles-
ger trucks descending the mountain
cd at the head Of the truck. and smoke
screens at the rear, and desperadoes ina
side with rifles and pistols. tss
The Federal prohibition of1icers upon
the highways are uniformed in khaki
/ with special caps and badges and Sam
Browne belts, and armed only with Army
service pistols. The offlcial files Of
instructions and orders to agents of the Z
Federal prohibition unit show that pre-
cautions have always been emphasized
against using the pistol except in self+
defense or in cases Of resistance to ara
rest for felonies. and when the Jones'
law last April made the possession. orr
transpor Jon 9of 1intlpE feldn5
TciaI order was sent out rom prom BE- !
tlo1i ucAuQudIteIS (Manual OF lnSLfflc-
lions for Officers and Agents In the
Field recalling to mind the order of
October A. 1921. paragraph as. Sec
acaFs iaSuse of iiirearns--Tne uronis-
cuotts nonrishine and display OF FIRE.
| arms is prohibited Aweapon should
never be drawn on . perscn except in
self defense, or to prevent the commits
sion OF . felony. The unwise and UNI
1 ~ q t<H - -.
the past has caused the hArealI consid.
cradle embarrassment and. resulted in
much unfaYorable and harmful public
ity. While 1t is not intended that an
omcer should remain passive and ieop-
Ardize his own life or the slffe Of an
associate when daneer threatens. it Is
intended that extreme canton and cool
oeliberation, should cofltruf his actions.
An oftcer should remember that he
win Be held. strictly acco,,ntable and
personally responsible for the fatal re-
suit OF any use II firearms by him"
80 II: ~ - ~ - 49,. = ~ ~ss u y
Since the Volstead act became 3sw
IN 1920. the Federal prohibition ofscers
have killed ttotar of 1856 men--iln To
June II, 1929. In all cases the officers
nave stood trial for manslaughter or
murder. and have In q few cases been
eonvicsed and sentenced, but in most
by the grand juries, or acquitted unon
Tiai, or the cases dismissed-F1oIle
pfossed--in spite Of local sympathy he
ing usually with the dead victims 9th
er fatalities have been caused by local
.omcials-deputy sheriffs, etc. who have
also mad to face the courts.
**&*
In the same period-Januarv IA.
1910, to June II. ls2s-hquor Criminals
have killed IS Federal prohihitior
agents ana narcotic officers. In 1929
narcotic oficer. ALREADY in 1879
they have murdered 4 Federal nro-.
hibitfon officers
In. considering the percentage ~
victims-5e-among the oficerS as
compared with the bootlegeers and 9TH
er v1oiators ,of law, killed while resist
ing or attacking Federal liquor officers.
the pre-eminence of the number of Of.
ncers killed, compared with their total
number, Is appallingly greater than the
number OF law violators who have fall
en-, In proportion to their total.
y y ~
In addition to the record of the Pro-
hibitlon Bureau, there II that of the;
FeoerM customs Bureau, which also has
70 meet the resistance of rum-runners
ana bootleggers. While beer. ca mot be
legally imported at ALI, wine can be Inn
ported II the importer can show q per
init for 1t from the prohibition unit
imported for medicinal use"---althourht
the American Medical Association de-
mes that aiconoi has any therapeutic
value. Such wine is subject to customs
duty.
Since the voIstead law began. the
rum-runners. have killed . customs
officers. OF whom Z were upon thsl
Mexican border and In Buffalo. and
l In, Detroit. bHNp ''io
Shall officers of the law be disarmed
while criminals use machine ealns ME
tolls. shoteuns and rifles, and giefy ar
rest? There Is the. theme for SUNDAY
June 30. 1s2s-''L Loyalty Sunday"
Copyright, 1879. by Pani v. Coiiinsl