The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-09-01

] tA@b WHICH - CfAA3 pC aAIdluJ AOE HO g6dI
eth not the sword in vain: for he is thu
minister of God, revenger to execut'
wrath upon him that doeth evil" Th,
right of an officer of the law "to exc
cute wrath upon him that doeth evil
cannot, therefore, be questioned. He i,
ordained of God to do that very thing
and his fellow citizens call him to hi.
post of duty.
But laws are lifeless and officers pow.
erless unless the public sentiment vital
ICES the law and sustains the officer
Here, then, is work for the pulpit and
for every good citizen, to create such g
public sentiment as will demand the
enactment and enforcement of sound
laws and as will sustain the officer of law
in the discharge of his duty
What, therefore, can christian people
do; what can law-loving people do to
prevent the recurrence of such deeds as
those of last Friday? They can and
they should unite to demand of our
legislators such laws as will most effec-
tually protect us from the bad elements
of society. mean by the bad elements,
the whisky-drinking, pistol-carrying,
law-defying characters. We recognize
them as existing in every community.
They keep the criminal dockets crowd
ed, the jails crowded, the penitentiary
crowded. They run county and State
into debt; they resist and kill officers of
the law. For our protection against
them, officers bear the sword; we should
see to it that they bear it not in vain.
You should demand that our present
temperance laws remain intact The
four mile school law is good one; let
US keep it, and in addition let us demand
LEGAL option. Let US demand the right
to kick the liquor traf1c out Of the midst
of our incorporated towns if we choose.
If we but had the right, we could thus
stop it in this community.
You should demand (if local option
should falD the closing of bar-rooms on
court days, election days and show days.
Who doubts that if these mouthways to
perdition had been closed on last Fri
day, we would have escaped the bloody
deeds Of that day Who doubts that
the liquor sellers of this place were di-
rectly connected with, and are largely
responsible for, the murdereus deeds
that have shocked us and curdled our
blood by their fiendishness. You should
demand Of all candidates for the Legis-
ature, that they support these and all
other measures that tend to secure
0ur peace, our safety and our lives.
This is the only way out of these evils,
md you should have the christian man
hood to stand by moral questions rather
han by political parties. You should
ct 1t be known that candidates who
reat, directly or indirectly, by paying
or liquor or allowing others to pay for
t, in their interest, get none of your
support. You should demand the en-
.Orcement of the present temperance
encouraging it and making
t as vital and successful as possible;
md you should seek such amendments
rs will give US better control of the
greatest source of all our troubles.
You should see to it that doctors who
give prescriptions to drunkards, lack for
your patronage and get their deserts at
the hands of the law.
You should see to it, my fellow-citi-
zens, my friends, my brethren, that the
whole iniquitous, diabolical liquor bust
ness is tern up by the roots. God help
you to open you eyes to see your duty
and do it..
You should demand the enforcement
Of the pistol law. 1t is to be regretted
hat this law does not require along
with its other penalties the forfeiture of
5he pistol to the State. Bad men should
be disarmed; and in nine cases out of
zen the carrying of pistol by private
citizen is pT5naG .ffacte evidence of viI-
ainy. What does he want with an un-
lawful weapon if not to use it unlawful
y upon the person of his fellow man
Y GU should certainly demand the en-
forcement of this law, for whisky in the
of bad men and pistols in their
hands mean lawlessness and murder.
As the bowie-knife has been outlawed
and disappeared, Sc shsuld the pistol be.
Words of warning to young men ought
to fall with some force this day stand
ing in the presence of such scenes as we
do.
have lived in several communities
and have known more than one vio-
lent man shot dead in his boots, and like
. wild beast breathe his last on the
ground weltsring in hfs own gore. I
have seen more than one dead man
whose death brought sense of relief to
the people, and of whom they said, a
desperate dead is better for US than
Desperate living. 1 say to ysu, young
men, if you coYet such an end and such
an epitaph, drink liquor, carry pistols,
defy the law, resist its officers and you
will get it. The swearing bravado, the
staggering bully, the defiant desperate
sooner or later meets his man and his
fate. His fate Angels shudder to
think of it; on earth an execrated mem
ory-in eternity lost soul. The Lord
in mercy save you from such fate.
said that I hold good people partly
responsible for these tragedies; and 1
do. You are too indifferent to the main
cause of such crimes;-the liquor traf-
1c, You are not as anxious as you
ought to be to make that business as
odious as it should be. Seme of you
are ready to excuse, if net to justify and
defend it. You help to- throw around it
the protection of the license system,
and you thus dignity 1t and give it an
air of respectability by setting the ma
iestic law to guard its so-called rights.
Never will this blood-thirsty liquor de,
mon be throttled and killed till the pub
lie sentiment shall demand and enforce