Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-16
Roosevelt Is Quoted
On Enforcement of Law

To the Editor of The Star:
Three magazine articles by Theodore
Roosevelt relative to the enforcement OF
the Sunday closing law in New YORK
City during his term as president OF the
board of police of that city, In 1Sso-S7,
are so exceedingly pertinent to present
conditions and controversies In general
REGARDING the enforcement of the pro-
hibition amendment that they deserve
to be widely and carefully reread. These
articles appeared In the Forum of Sep
TENDER, 1895; McClure's Magazine of
october, 1895, and the Atlantic Monthly
Of September, 1897.
The Sunday closing law Of 1892, says
Roosevelt, was passed by Tammany-
controlled Legislature and signed by a
governor also under the domination OF
Tamnlany as a hypocritical sop to the
temperance people, but with no inten-
ton Of its impartial and honest enforce
ment. Previous to the reconstruction of
the police board in New York City In
1895 that law had been administered
corruptly and with Partially against
the small liquor dealers, more particu-
larIy against those who failed faithfully
to support the Tammany machine, and
to the advantage of the powerful Tam
many liquor dealers and brewers
against whom 1t was not enforced at all.
i
impartial and eminently successful en-
forcement Of the law Gin which Roose-
welt thoroughly believed, and in support
CT which Representative Schafer can
perhaps find a text in the Bible) In
1857 in the face of general predic-
lions of the impossibility of its enforce
ment, and in the face of the most Bit
ter opposition of not only the liquor
dealers and brewers and Tammany poll
ticians, but also, and most of all, the
sensational press of the metropolis.
At present, however. it Is desired
merely to call particular attention To
Roosevelt's account of the policy Of the
police board, under his tenure, relative
to the use of weapons in the enforce
nlent of the law. Stating that measures
were taken to insure against brutality
on the part of the police, he continues
"On the other hand, we made the
force understand that in the event OF
any emergency requiring them to use
| their weapons against either mob on
an individual criminal, the police board
backed them up without reservation
Our sympathy was for the friends, and
threatened violence, we were glad tc
have the mob hurt. II q criminal
showed fight, we expected the officer
to use any weapon that was required tc
overcome him on the instant, and even
If 1t became needful, to take life."
In these few crystal-clear, rapier.
| like words he thus cut through arlc
through the fallacious, hypocritica,
and rime-inciting criticism of that
day against the use of weapons by Of
flcers of the law in dealing with desper'
ate and murderous violators of the law
And these words are no less applicable
to the similar criticism of today ir
connection with the use Of weapons By
officers of the law in enforcing the
prohibition amendment against the nc
less desperate and murderouS violators
/ of that amendment. They are words Of
eminent sense, wisdom and patriotism
and they should be the object Of deer
reflection-not least in the National
Capital. JOHN G.. THOMPSON.