The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-04
Dale Is Sentenced. Yet


eighteen months on charges Of conspiring to
violate the prohibition law.
The prison term is either much too short
or entirely too long For Dale happens to
be something more than mayor Of a second
class city. He stands for something far diff
ferent than the ordinary politician who climbs
his way into Office by intrigue, by secret
deals with contractors and job seekers, by
bargains with senatorial aspirants.
Dale has a lifetime record as fighter
for the principles on which this country was
founded, against graft in high places and
low, against the intolerance Of the Ku-Klux
Khan, when fighting invited assassination,
against domination Of government for sell
fish purposes.
A thousand years in the darkest dungeon
would be far too short term for man who
obtained the confidence of his neighbors and
fellow citizens by such record and then
betrayed them. That would betray causes as
well as people.
One second in Jail is much too long If
Dale is innocent.
IT is because the men who know Dale best,
who have watched his brave fights in the
past, still have faith in his integrity and his
honesty and are trying most desperately to
retain their faith in the federal courts as
temples Of Justice that the sentencing Of
Dale comes as distinct and profound dis
appointment
They feel that great opportunity to re-
store confidence in courts has been missed.
The theory of the government, on which
it convicted Dale, was that he had conspired
with group of bootleggers who had been
disappointed in their corrupt efforts to name
different candidate and that after becom-
ing mayor he refused to give them protec-
ton.
To support this charge the government
brought men whom Dale had arrested, men
whom he had driven from crime, men who
had every reason to hate him.
1t brought but two men charged with the
sale of liquor in Munce and tried to bolster
UP preposterous cause by palpable per-
juries concerning trips with a "blond'
woman to neighboring cities, tale that be-
came at once an apparent falsehood when
the accusing witness attempted to 90 into
details.
TTNCLE SAM, appealing to the prejudice
of men by improved and wholly irrele-
want suggestions of sex scandals, is not the
most pleasing picture that has been painted
of that gentleman, but it was painted by the
district attorney in his efforts to convict
Dale
Out of the entire list of witnesses
against Dale there was but one man who
pretended to be a business man. This wit
ness admitted that, part of a former city
administration, he had been a silent partner
in a protected gambling house. His griev-
ance and that of his partner, also witness,
was that Dale had Carrie Nationed his Joint.
No witness suggested that Dale took
money. Instead the acts charged against
him. even if they had been true, were trivial
as compared to violations permitted in any
large city.
Not a witness appeared whom the jury
would believe in any other place than the
witness stand of a federal court. That we
have reached the point in this country where
admitted perjurers, admitted grafters, adj
mitted criminals are given credence and
men to whom the people have given their
confidence are discredted is a serious matter.
THE reason may be found in the editorial
columns of a leading newspaper, hos
tile to Dale, which, gloating over the YER
dict. brazenly announced that the people be-
ieve an Indictment in the federal court is
equivalent to verdict of guilt, because I'M
found charges are not brought by the fed
eral government
It's motives may be found in the fact
that in its distorted descriptions of the trial
il constantly referred to Dale as the Dem
ocratic mayor" 1t gave no political adjec-
tives to the Walbs, the Duvalls, the Jack
sons. and other spawn of the Ku-KluX Khan
when justice found them.
But. unfortunately, the statement as to
the mental attitude toward the federal
court is too we'll founded, due perhaps to the
fact that it was true, until the prohibition
era. and the corruption that came with it,