Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-11-29
Union Temperance Meeting.
ROusing One Held in Opera House
Sunday evening.
Synopsis of Judge Grants Address.

ounQdy evening.
Synopsis Of Judge Grants Address
\ crowd gathered in the opera house
sunday evening TO listen TO Judge G.. b
Grant of the state supreme court on
1.-The enforcement of the law" The
meeting was opened by prayer by Rev
w. +. Jones. After the reading of the
scripture by Rev. McAllister, Chaplain
Lozicr offered prayer. Rev. Jones, in
introducing the speaker, said that this
Is but the first of Il series of meetings &c
be held this winter for the agitation OF
the temperance question Judge Grant
was then introduced. He said he was
not here to advocate any one of the
various methods for the suppression of
the liquor traffic but TO talk about the
enforcement Of the laws already on our
statute books. His platform, he said,
was broad enough for men Of all parties
and all religious creedS 10 stand upon
and touch elbows in this work. We
despise man who makes promise and
does not keep it. Why not Il state that
enacts a law and then fails to enforce il:
We have laws on our statute books, the
enforcement of which will make people
better. The trouble is not in the law,
but in the failure to enforce law. How
is law TO be enforced, if there be not a
common ground on which all good
people can stand: We all believe in the
right Of the majority TO rule, and the
minority 10 submit. This is the corner
stone of our republic. Laws are enacted
TO be obeyed, and officers whose duty il is
to enforce law, must do so, or else be
made TO step down and out Every
citizon respects this constitutional right
and must submit No citizen or class
of citizens possess the right to nullify or
defy the constitutional right. No citi-
zen has right to leave Ibis wife or
children public charge. The moment
he does this. the people have right TO
say thus far shalt thou go. and no
farther; and To say the same to the
liquor seller when he violates any one of
the laws enacted for the restriction or
suppression of the sale of Intoxicating
liquors. The law doesn't ask man to
sell liquor, but says that he may do SO,
under certain conditions. No liquor
seller has ever thought of obeying the
law until he has felt the lash of law.
As TO who should see to the enforce
ment of the law, Judge Grant said it
Is not the duty of any private citizen to
do this, and there Is nothing on our
statute book requiring it. The state has
provided for officers to enforce law, and
70 them the citizens have Il right to look
for its enforcement. NiolatOrS of the
law say 60 private citizens that it is
none of their business how often the law
Is violated; the officers must see 10 that.
ViolatOrs of the law fear the officers for
they know that the officers are clothed
with authority, and are doing their
duty. They know, too, that while they
may kill the officers, they can not kill
the office. The Judge then referred to
the clause in the constitution which
says that the governor shall see that the
laws are enforced. The governor has
power TO removing from Office any officer
who fails TO do his duty, provided there
is citizen in that community who has
the courage TO make the complaint to
the governor He has the power TO call
ont the militia to enforce the law. He
has the right to resort to extreme meas
ures when crime is threatened which
he believes will demoralize the COM
munity, and local officers fail to do their
duty. The Judge asked if it is a
governors duty to stop a prize fight
u.
why is ii not his duty to enforce the
liquor law for the same reason. Mich.
gan never has had, the Judge said
governor who would dare issue such a
proclamation; no mayor or village presi-
dent dare do this, for the reason that
there are voters whom they dare not
offend.
1t is the duty of the citizen to make
;,,ta CT Il L.
these complaints i'll the hands of the
proper officer, whose duty il is to see that
the violators are brought to Justice. In
case OF fire or robbery the poliece
officers will try to ferret out the crimi-
nal, although there is not line in the
statute booke to enforce it. 1t is the
law OF common sense. BIT in violations
Of the liquor law, the same officers say,
sit is none of our business" Where,
asked the Judge, do these officers get
the right to say what is their duty, and
what is not,
People may deal with this traffic as
they see fit, for every court has declared
this TO be a constitutional right. The
liquor traffic creates crime and poverty
and is dangerous to the community, and
therefore the people have right to do
as they will for its suppression. 1t is an
insult to say that public sentiment is
not educated TO the enforcement of the
liquor law What we want is not more
law but more law observed. Christian
men must support the officers in their
enforcement of the law The better
sentiment Of community is always i'm
the majority, and when good men sup
port the officers of the law then will
the cause of temperance he advanced
and each town, village and city i'm the
state will be just what the citizens
choose TO make it,
The Judge interspcrsed his very excel
lent and practical address with incidents
occurring in his official life in the upper