The Coolidge examiner., 1933-09-15
THE REMEDY FOR 1T ALL
ARTICLE No 4

same crime. Three prosecutors were
seeking solution of the crime and
conviction of the same criminal.
Three state governments were trying
to find what they ought to do about
il.
During this time the criminal was
living a riOtous life on the proceeds
OF his endeayOrs. That is not un-
usual, but it is ridiculous. The cost
is beyond all sense and reason. Ii
is as criminal as the crime under in
vestlgation.
A man shot a man in New York.
He dragged the body TO New Jersey
and dumped it there. Then he
dashed TO Delaware to hide out.
They found him there. Three inves-
legations were begun to determine
what to do with him and where TO
do it. Two extraditions were neces-
sary to bring the killer TO trial.
Mounting taxes and infinite delay
for offended society,"
That is a simple case. Take any
three states and counties and the
same would be true. All this abets
the criminal. He runs to another
state solely TO accomplish the very
delay that accrues.
While juries mediate what to do
shyster lawyers produce a habeas
corpus and the criminal has flown
the coop before there is any legal
instrument TO hold him. This was
all too frequently true when the
killing was gang one and the
habeas financed by millions in boot
leg money. II Is equally all too
true that the prosperity and safety
OF the criminal have been predi-
Gated upon his money and its cor
ruptive power. Legal TECHNICAL
ties have served to llberate many a
killer, and those technicallties have
been discovered and allowed only
because OF influence.
The connection between the DO
lice and the criminal Is the most dis
astrOus faced by society. Perfect
IT and society Is utterly defenseless.
1t has come to its greatest fruition
under prohibition because OF lack
OF sympathy for the law and the
ease with which millions have
trickled into unworthy palms. The
criminal always has II on the po-
lice who have taken bribes. They
have II on prosecutors seeking re-
election and judges dependent upon
the same thing. 1t has made a VI
cious circle.
Well-planned murder is almost
impossible TO detect and convict.
This Is due 10 the planning and
the apparent lack of motive in peo-
pie who had opportunity to kill. We
may know the cause and the source
of the murder but we cannot prove
them in court. So murder becomes
easy. 1t was easy because of this
connection between the law and the
law-breaker. Such connections are
Inevitable in great cities with laws
like prohibition battering at the
foundation OF honest enforcement.
Now how break up that connec-
ton? With bootleggers turned rack
eteers and kidnapers. how handle
them? The kidnapping will die away
because no one can protect it long.
The racketeering will continue be-
cause business finds 1t cheaper to
pay tribute than to risk life and
property fighting. Yet we must
break up the rackets.
1t Is my judgment that federal ac-
ton Is the only solution. Uncle
Sam with his long arm can reach
over extraditions. He can batter
down alliance between law and
crime. He can step into a city
and demand the facts. He can do
that because he will not long re-
main in any one city. Not long
enough for his officers to get tangled
in the web of dirty money that flows
in the urban streets of America. The
federal officer may not be more hon
est inherently than the local one.
But he has an esprit de corps which
only passing contact with local con-
ditions never can shatter.
favor a national police force for
criminal investigation and prosecu-
tion. I feel that the people of the
country soon will be forced to de-
mand it. Americas great cities have
doubled police forces in the last so
years. and the crime rates nave in.
creased twice as much as the po-
lice,
see no need of county govern
ments. They are an expense, cum
bersome methods of maintaining Pc
litical patronage. and generally a
hindrance to direct and economical
government. Why the city or vii
lage should arrest a man for crime,
only to have him tried by the coun-
ty and imprisoned by the state. |
shall never understand. If | rely
upon political surveys by purveyors
of political patronage. I might see "A
good reason for such round-a about
methods. But | do not rely upon
these That is q political chicanery