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

~ OUR CITY FATHERS.
One of the best and most OBJ
servant citizens of Morristown. be-
ieving that the time has come when
civil law and@correct morals should |
be sustained in this community, |
sends US the following, addressed to
sour City Fathers His automatic
truths and conclusions are Of an i'm
portance justifying the prominence
we accord them. He says:
In every civilized country, it has been
found necessary for the law-making
power to create municipal corporations
for the better preservation of order IN
towns and cities.
The prime object in creating municip-
alities is, that by local ordinances and
special police regulations, good order
may be preserved.
These things are found necessary,
solely because there are bad men in eV-
cry community, who will create dlSor-
der, unless they are restrained by law
and the ministers of the law.
Criminal laws, and corporation ordl-
nances, are directed alone against law
breaking, bad men.
Every good citizen in toa0aa or country
favors these laws and ordinances-and
favors their strict enforcement and exc
cution.
If any@an violates them or opposes
their execution, he is a bad man. an en-
envy to law aud order.
1t follows from these self-eVident
truths that the board of Mayer and Al
dermen of Morristown has been created
primarily to deal with, and overcome
bad men who may be in, or come into
the town.
When that board takes such steps as
will absolutely suppress violence, dlSor-
der, and bad conduct in the town, 1t
will have discharged its primary duty
Until it shall have done this, its duty
will not be fully performed.
In performing this duty, every good
citizen will sustain the board.
In dong it the courts will sustain 1t.
And so will the whole power OF the
State if necessary.
THE SITUATION.
Violence has run riot in our midst.
There are men, who visit the town
who affect to scorn the authority Of
your officers.
You have not a sufficient police Or
ganization las everybody knOws) to con-
troll the rowdies who sometimes visit
your town.
This and this only, is the reason thai
these bad men scOrn your authority.
The good citizens of the town anc
county are now ready to sustain you IL
any reasonable course you may take il
the interest of good order.
ADVICE.
Create police force with power SUI
ficie1t to meet any emergency.
Have it ready to be called into actiV
ity by a chief on short notice.
Instruct your policemen to arrest, OF
the spot and with certainty, every VIC
IaUer of law, from town or country, b.
he high or low.
Instruct them not to temporize witt
crime or daily with criminals.
Instruct them to permit no man to in
terfere with them when they arrest
man, and to arrest at once every MAJ
who attempts to interfere.
Let the punishment of law-breaker
be such as will be felt.
Let this advice be strictly FOLLOWED
for few months, and my word for IL
rowdies will cease to congregate here
Our streets will be as free from Keeling
} staggering drunken rowdies as are tn
streets of other we'll regulated town
f and cities.
The advice 1 have given is, as
know, from Internationally the EN-
bodiment in words of the course COZ
stantly and rigidly followed in ever
, well governed town in the country.
To illustrates Let US suppose that
dozen or twenty citizens of Knox cour
ty were to assemble at some corner gre
cery, in Knoxville, and their leade
were to swear, 1--WE have come here
clean the damned town out" Wht
: would happen? 1 will tell you. Th
pelicemeu's billies would crack owe
: their heads so rapidly that they coul
not maintain their resistance ten mil
utes. And if need be, every good cit
zen of Knoxville W ould arm himself an
aid the police.
' Of Knoxville every rowdy knows thi
| Only let them know it of MorrlstoWl
}. and my word for it, our trouble will
, ended.
The people haYe right to the san
l protection of law extended to the pc
pie of ether well regulated commun
Ties They demand It. ~