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Show THE CITIZEN they would be inviting reprisals by our government if they sought to coerce us into the use of passports. If we should abolish the passport system the chances are that the other nations would respect our policy. Crijninals sift through a passport system as sand through a sieve because they are unknowns, but political undesirables, are usually persons of more or less note md they are caught in the obstruction. In fact, the passport system 5 was devised as an agency to exclude political offenders. It developed into an agency whereby those whose minds do not run in a rut with the minds of European despots are excluded not because of what they have done but because of what they think or say. Every nation should shoulder its own burden in excluding sons for political reasons. per- MANDATE EXCLUDES U. S. FROM .... TRADE BENEFITS . i far as anyone knows, says the London Standard, the conquest of Mesopotamia did not cost the United States a single dollar. This by way of arguing that the United States has no right to protest against the closed door policy of the British government with relation to oil lands of Mesopotamia. So How long would a British army have remained in Mesopotamia had not the United States contributed $25,000,000,000 and more toward the winning of the war? Our state departments protest against the exclusion of Americans from the oil business of Mesopotamia was discussed by representatives of the League of Nations in Geneva. During the discussion someone discovered that Great Britain held Mesopotamia under an :A mandate. Whereupon it was contended that this effectually excluded the United States from even talking about the subject, for, by the terms of one of those open covenants openly arrived at and marked A, Great Britain is the only one who can advise the administration of Mesopotamia what it shall do. Inasmuch as the administration is British, duly chosen and installed by the British army of occupation, we have an interesting Gilbert and Sullivan situation. Great Britain solemnly advises the British administration that the treaty of exclusion signed with France makes it impossible for Great Britain to let the esteemed United States share in any of the commercial advantages of mandate A. ' And, of course, we ought to be good sportsmen and accept tht advice to stay out, for was it not our estimable president who invented the A mandate aiid, indeed, all the other mandates by which the pOAvers seized conquered lands under a pretense of governing them as agents of the League of Nations? Virtually this was giving the lands to the predatory empires. They meant to have these lands whether Mr. Wilson liked it or not and so Mr. Wilson devised a neat little legal fiction by which the imperialistic governments got all they wanted, but seemed to get it only as philanthropic trustees of civilization. ' If the League of Nations goes to pieces the A mandates and all the other mandates will turn out to be transfers in fee simple to the predatory possessors. When we joined in making the treaty of Versailles we did not expect land or loot, but we did expect fair treatment. Now we are calmly told that by the terms of our own treaty we are to be shut out of much of the trade of the world. More and more our people are coming to realize what we escaped when the Republican senate refused to ratify the treaty. Let the covenant and treaty alone for a few njore months and we probably will find that it was framed not merely to exclude us from benefits but to rob us of many things we have always possessed. 1 Judge Crocketts System We read with interest and lively anticipation of better Christmas cheer for some of the communitys unfortunates that Judge Fred Crockett of the municipal court has announced a new policy in dealing with drunkards and women of the underworld. He has introduced an honor system which is a mercy system. It is of the character that blesseth him that gives and him that takes. Under the prevailing system the prisoner would pay his fine or serve his jail sentence and then feel that he was square with society for the offense he had committed and was free to indulge himself again in his vice, the judge explains. Under the new system I will impose a heavy jail sentence with no alternative of a fine if the prisoner fails again during his period of probation. I am confident that better results will be obtained under the new system. Thirty days in the city jail or a fine of $50 has been the sentence invariably imposed for one found guilty of drunkenness. In most instances the prisoners have been compelled to serve the jail sentence. Municipal and police courts in all cities have had the experiences which, have influenced Judge Crockett to seek a system that "ill bring better results for the prisoners, the distressed kindred and the community. The prisoners, under the new dispensation, will be released on their own recognizance after they have been found guilty and sentenced. They will report to the judge at a certain date and f they have not repeated their offense no further punishment will he exacted. We are told that the system is a distinct novelty in court procedure, but it seems so reasonable that one marvels that it has not been tried before. The suspended sentence, of course, is not new; probation is not new, but the application of the suspended sentence and probation to a particular class of offenders is novel. Only those who do not deserve the courts mercy will suffer. The drunkard or the erring one who will not reform will thus doubly confirm their guilt and there will be no doubt but that they have earned their chastisement. On the other hand, those who deserve mercy will so conduct themselves on probation that the treatment accorded them will justify itself. Moreover, it is an ideal with a practical side. If it turns out well it will save the city money. One of the saddest spectacles of a police court is a mother pleading for her son. He has been arrested for drunkenness. It transpires that he holds a good position and is the sole support of his mother and little brothers and sisters. There is no doubt of his guilt. Perhaps, in his madness of inebrity, he fought with the police when they tried to arrest him. If lie is sent to jail he will lose his position and we will have no money in the house, the mother explains as the tears gush to her eyes. I fine the prisoner $50 or thirty days in jail, says the judge with a bold attempt at firmness, although he feels as if he were the. guilty one and ought to be in jail. The law has done a monstrous thing. It is to prevent such an atrocity that Judge Crockett has introduced his system. Let us hope that it will be fruitful of all the good results lie hopes for it. Let us hope that it will be another silver lining to the dark clouds that ovcrgloom police courts. At worst, it can but fail, for all things human have flaws. But there is a good chance that it will accomplish what the judge expects of it, that it will dry the tears of many a mother and be the means of salvation for many an erring son or daughter. |