Show Bl Blames mes Patrons of Bootleggers for for Corruption Editor The Tim Telegram We We WeA A Americans as ns everybody v Knows are are a avery very tine fine and Intelligent Intelli gent cent people people But somehow there se m to be times when w We are ty of ot some extremely foggy mental processes There Is for Instance the matter of S r the tho prohibition indictments rG re recently ro- ro voted 0 in northwestern In Ind indiana In- In d diana n J Nearly men inca Were ivere indicted there after a long investigation aHon by federal officials Among mong tills this num- num r. r ad m nto to t eu usua al col 91 I rb lection o ot boot bootleggers restaurant keepers vice Ico lieutenants lIeutenant and such fr fry there ere were mayor of a a. city several other city officials and md a group of ot policemen When this news new appeared In the papers tho tim ordinary respectable r American shook hook his head sadly and wondered wh what that t things thinS's were ere coming to to and rid why wh- The ordinary American Amen Ameil- can thereupon convicted himself of ol some foggy thinking I Corruption such as wa was Just uncovered uncovered uncovered un un- covered In iii Indiana is a thing th that t tc c cn can n be traced directly to the tho doors of at tH several eral millions of or me men who do donot donot not ordinarily consider themselves poor citizens These guilty ones are the men who wha patronize bootleggers The They in the last analysis are the men who ho are responsible for this this kind of scandal The They are arc the men who provide the money that bribes policemen and prohibition agents tho the money that thi t trickles Illegally Into tato the pockets of r mayors and nd coun coun- tho the mone money that pays Jor for forgang forgang gang wars corrupt politics and crooked crooke att attorneys S The thing is Is' so obvIous ob that It U har hardly ly needs need explanation Yet m most sl of or us utterly fall fail to see ee Jt It The country Is full ful of 61 upright el well intentioned p people ople who deplore la lawlessness an and brit corruption but wh who als also ring uP up their bootleggers ory c every so often oren to buy a a. little l liquid cheer Did you oh gentle centle cente and fearless reader reader eyer ever er perch perchance nce buy a 3 pint plot pintor of or sin gin for a n few dinner alter cocktails cock cock- tails taUs Did you OU ever t er ever invest cst in a a. afew afew few lew bottles b of ot beer to enliven an evenings evening's p poker poker ker J party t If I you O did you ou have havo no r reason ason to complain of or crooked J oC office e or or corrupt police t i Your our own money helped 1 to corrupt them You yourself your yourself our self were the original bribe bribe Iver I This of r c course ur e. e Is self evident i Yet Yot most niost of oC us dont don't grasp gasp it S. S We throw up our our hands h when n we read of or ofa a mess UKe this in Indiana and and nd then a w we vO db dO r ou our part to multiply such I messes by putting more nore dollars into th tb the rum rum rings ring's slush fund You can think a you please about the tho virtues or otherwise of ot prohibition lion tion ton of ot course But if it you patronize patron patrone ize tho b bootlegger cven en e If It its it's Is I's only occasionally do occasionally occasionally-don't don't dont t be sui surprIsed at atthe this the things that your ou ron money y doe does Whether you rou like liko Jko prohibition or not Its It's an obvious Ious fact r tion corruption is paid for tor b by bythe bytho tho the b bootleggers bootleggers' patrons S A STUDENT |