Y. 3 .;. J. cr v 'H a r , o I 1 ~ r n ~: :· 1. t: .r. :· :: B H - 0 v Z ~· 2 X .L C 2 ·~ 0 STATE Volume 26, No. 2 WESTERVILLE, OHIO, FEBRUARY, 1925 $1.00 Per Year A BILL TO PROHIBIT" JAKE" AND OTHER LIQUOR SUBSTITUTES 'THE Senate Bill No. 235 by Stuart of Fort Worth proposes to cut out the TEXAS RANGERS sale of "jake," Lyko, Force, Monticello Tonic and other so-called medi­ FROM THE ROGERS NEWS -1· cines that are really substitutes for liquor. Really the bill puts these all The Ranger force should be built up to the highest possihl~oint o,f Cfficiency. under the same catalogue as straight liquor. It should be sent by the governor into every county in the state where the lo~l officers The language of the bill proposes to cut out those alcoholic prepara­ fail or refuse to discharge their duties tovvard the faithful enforcemet1l: of the laws that come under their jurisdiction. To condone or coddle crime of anyJ: c}la,racter is tions that are capable of use as beverages. those sections of state In itself a crime, and our state should clean up every stronghold of lawlessnes§ and where smuggled liquor or moonshine is plentiful, these substitutes are not crime within its confines. A strong Ranger force-a powerful state police agency­ so popular. In those sections where these are scarce and among those 1vl~o is the only available instrumentality by which crime may be suppressed and law and cannot afford the price for "bonded" or moonshine, these substitutes be-, order made supreme in all sections of the state. T-he issue is ~imply this: Shall the come the greatest offenders. Sheriffs and prosecuting attorneys in those people as a whole respect the laws of the state or shall the ruling element in each sec­ tion and county be a "law unto themselves," stamping under foot every statute that sections are each eagerly demc:_nding .legislation that \vill bring relief. displeases them? But druggists who do not want to lose the profits from their sale will FROM THE DALLAS NEWS oppose the bill. Those who manufacture these drinks will spend money / \Vhen the Texas Rangers were instituted forty years ago, it 'vas in response to the liberally to defeat the bill. They will persuade some reputable fi.nns to discovery that local self-government is sometimes inadequate and at other times ineffi­ join them in this o'n the plea that their products also are in danger. cient. The Rangers were intended to be a distinctive constabulary without local \V e ·want to say with all the emphasis possible that no legitimate med­ attachments, and they were authorized to make arrests without an eye to political con- - icine is endangered by this bill. If any such is now being made, all f\1at siderations. The Rangers have served a useful purpose. They have been uniformly an intelligent, courageous·· and sober body of men. In innumerable cases they have. needs to be done is to put more medicine and less liquor in it so that it be­ one or two at a time, restored law and order and brought peace to a troubled com­ comes incapable of being used for beverage purposes, and its legitimate munity. sale can continue. A striking example is found in Penma. Older persons can readily re­ member when Peruna was the great substitute for liquor found in local op­ ABOOTLEGGER lS TO BE PARDONED tion teritory. Seyeral years ago the federal government forced the manu· · vVhen Governor N efi declared vacant the Board of Pardons a sigh of relief went facturers of this medicine to so change its formula as to make it incapab.le up from the hearts of the good citizens of Texas and a groan from the bootleggers. of being used for be,·erage pttrposes. Since then it is far superior as a med­ For four years Governor Neff carried out his policy for the officers to catcl'l. the boot­ leggers and put them in the penitentiary, he would see that they stayed· there. icine, but, of course, its sale has greatly decreased, as it is no longer used Governor :rv!iriam A. Fcrguso~1 has appointed \V. P. Sebastian of Brc~>kenridge as for beyerage purposes. chief of this committee, and Hon. J. N. Aldridge of Gilmer, a lawyer, as the other All such "medicines" as are affected by this bill may adjust their for­ member of the board. Mr. Sebastian has been one of the leaders of the wet forces -- s-i-ne-e-±9-H at -which time he led the fight in his section of the state again'!rt~1:u1~ c w:c!e mula as to ineet its requirements, but, of course, when held do·wn to le- ~ su prohibition. gitimate use, the sales will decrease. Opposition to this bill will, therefore, The first recommendation made for a pardon is that of ]. B. Hories, of San be from those who prepare "medicines" for beverage purposes. Angelo. He was arrested ncar that city on the 9th of March, 1923, on liquor cha;gl':::. Let not the reader be Jed to believe that his Senator or Representative At this time the officers seized a copper still, 47 gallons of syrup, two gallonc; of whisky, and about 200 gallons of mash. He received a t>vo-year sentence for hoot­ will "vote right" on this bill. If he .. wants these booze substitutes cut out, legging. write in unmistakable language to them to support these bills. The oppo­ It is said that there arc about 1,000 requests for pardons already on tap. \Vc. hope sition is already being heard from in f~ll force. that the pardon record of the new governor will not run high and that the percentage­ of moonshiners and bootleggers will not run large. It is rare that any of that gentry get into the clutches of the law serious enough to want a pardon. When we get thel1l CERTAIN DALLAS DR'S HOLDING ON TO THEIR LIQUOR MONEY into the penitentiary, we hope that we can keep them there till their terms are up. :Press reports state that about 100 physicians have signed a petition against Senate bill No. 106 by Price and \Voodward and that the petition is BECAUSE RANGERS ENJOINED, MEXICAN BANDITS being circulated among other physicians. This bill is the one that proposes to correct the abuses that have arisen CROSS OVER THE BORDER INTO TEXAS over the liquor prescriptions. \Ve do not believe that the bill will ade­ vVhen Judge R. B. Minor of San Antonio granted an injunction against Adjutant quately meet the situation, but it is designed to put so much "red tape" on General Barton and Governor Neff to prevent them from maintaining the Ranger the doctor and the druggist that they will be discouraged from writing the force in operation in Texas, :Mexican bandits and bootleggers were quick to see the prescription. As we said in the last issue of the Home and State, if the opportunity presented by the situation. On January 29 Adjutant General :McGee, received a message from Ranger Captain thirsty ones were willing to put down the price the doctors would still con­ \ . L. \Vright at Laredo saying, "A well known Mexican bandit had been seen cross­ tinue to write prescriptions, and the druggists to fill them in spite of the ing into Texas near San Diego with 15 men and 20 pack mules. "reel tape." The present law requires a man to have ten physicians each Inasmuch as the injunction had not been issued against the new Adjutant General prescribing a bottle of liquor at a time in order that the man may be able Mark :McGee, he issued orders to Ranger Captain 'vV. L. vVright imtnel'tiately to take such action as was necessary to protect the border. The injunction was then extended to obtain a pint of liquor every day. This bill \Vottld allow a. man to main­ to include him also. tain his bottle a day and have only six physicians, but it would put a lot If the injunction against the Rangers s!wuld be maintained, Mexican handits will more clerical \vork on the physician. Of course he will charge handsomel¥ have their own way on the border. The present laws of Texas allows 75 Rangers to for it. be maintained. Not less than 150 are needed. It is reported that the present adminis­ It is safe to conclude that the majority of the physicians of Da11as who tration wants to cut the number down to 25. This will not be enough to protect from the depredations of criminals the border to say nothing of the interior, and Texas may sign this bill will come from the 250 physicians who are writing eyery look for a reign of crime. prescription that the government will permit them to write, a.nd charging $3.00 each for them. Th.is brings them in an average of $100.00 a monlh, Mr. Phil \Vright, Commissioner of Police of San Antonio, recently uttered some $1,200.00 a year and the holders of the permit will be slow to surrender wise vrords. \Ve quote him from the local press: that income ev9n thmigh it means to trample the constitution of the state "\Ve have no need for a Board of Pardons, and I am .sorry it has been and nation under their feet. re-established. There arc entirely too many suspended sentences, 11..1.roles and honor farms.