The Coolidge examiner., 1932-09-02


speakeasy business and with
an utter contempt for law, cam
not be thus converted into vir-
tuous, law-abiding citizens over
night. Many will turn to other
forms of illegitimate activity.
Corrupt officials, deprived of
bootleg tribute, will seek new
sources of graft.
Our frontier ancestors, when the
criminal element got out Of con-
troll, formed themselves into Wig
ilance committees, rounded up Grim
inals, and strung them up on the
nearest tree. Every red-blooded
man, when he reads Of the criminal
activities of our modern racketeers
and Of their apparent immunity
from capture and prosecution,
feels a natural impulse TO go out
and organize a vigilance committee.
But action can be taken, under the
law, only through the constituted
authorities. Any other course would
lead to abuses greater than those
it might correct.
The ability of the underworld to
terrorize society lies in the fact
that it is thoroughly organized,
while society is not. At present it
is more the gang against the in
dividual than otherwise. Why
should we not form neighborhood
and community committees, so that
the gang will find itself confronted
with an organized body of men
larger and stronger than itself? The
more important his position in the
community, the greater the Obliga-
ton of the citizen TO join the COM
mittee.
Can Force Action.
Such committees, made up Of sub
stantial citizens, who regard citi-
zenship as a paramount obligation,
could force action. Suppose a
nelghbor of yours gets kidnapping
threat, or a merchant is visited by
a gangster who tries TO extort trib-
ute from him, or a section of the
town experiences a series of hold
ups. If the individual citizen goes
to the police station or city hall and
fails TO get satisfaction possibly be-
cause of an alliance between Off
cials and the underworld he is pow
erless.
But if the neighborhood commit
tee stands ready, at the very first
threat of gangster activity within
its borders, TO take common action
against the invasion, the picture
changes. The threatened man i'm
mediately summons all his trusted
friends. who advise with the neigh
bOrhood committee. Representing
the militant citizenship of its COM
munity, il could demand positive ac-
tion by the police and by the city au-
thorities
Committees of this kind would be
vigilance committees. not in the old
sense. but in the sense that they
would be ever vigilant in the pro-
lection of rights and the perform
ance of civic duties. ] would con-
slider il an honor TO serve on such
a committee myself.
These committees would serve
many other purposes beyond the
suppression OF racketeering. They
would present united front
against the grating of officials.
They could hold weekly or monthly
meetings TO discuss the problems of
government Such meetings would
serve to bring out and develop, as
no institution we now possess does,
new leaders. especially among the
young citizens, in every commu-
nifty.
An Identification Plan.
One great aid to crime in Amer
lea is the veil of anonymity which
covers the individual In any army,
every man is accounted for. His
name, rank, regiment, and where
abouts are known. If he is wanted,
we know where to find him. In
America we have no Identification.
Men can move from city to city,
changing their names as they would
their coats. They can register as
they please at any hotel, with no
questions asked. 1t is a pleasant,
easy-going custom, but it puts an in
superable barrier in the way of the
police In the detection of crime. The