The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-09-27
Judge Stump's Address to the Grand
jury,

The charge of the Court to the Grand
Jury at the present term is of more than
ordinary interest, hence we publish the
address ill full The Judge points out the
methods by which the prohibition law
may be enforced and these bold outlaws
of the liquor class be deferred from their
boosted violations of the law There are
not few who pretend to be law. abiding
and abet the whiskeyites by saying the
law can't be enforced.
Gentlemen cftte Grand Jury:
Since the last Grand Jury met what is known as
the local option law has become operative. So
far your duty and mine Is concerned, is does
not make particle of difference whether we are
in favor of the law or opposed to it, or whether
we voted for it or against it. 1t is the law of the
land and your oath and mine requires us to en-
force it to the best of our ability strictly and
impartially.
Energetic action is particularly desirable at This
time. BY making it apparent at the start that the
law cannot be violated with impunity, much time,
expense and trouble will be saved in the future.
A vigorous prosecution now will, hope, lessen
the necessity for any prosecution hereafter 1t
must be apparent to all that under the most
favorable circumstances the law will be craftily
evaded to limited extent yet it can be practically
enforced. How it will be this time in the county
do not know, but do know that if even half of
those who voted for the law will expend half as
much energy to secure its enforcement as they
did to secure its adoption, the sale of liquor will
be reduced to quantity so small as to be inap-
preciable. There was no lack of earnestness or
energy before the election. The organization was
almost perfect. Meetings were held many speeches
made, many sermons preached and good major
ity secured. But the trouble so far as my exper-
fence teaches me, and we have local option in
every county in this circuit is that as soon as the
election is over the advocates of the law abandon
their organization, and make no iadiridudl effort
to enforce the law. They talk but will not act
while action is the one and only thing needed
They seem to lose sight of the fact that the elee
ton il only skirmish for the possession of a
vantage ground on which the decisive battle
which is the enforcement and not the adoption of
the law, is to be fought. 1t world be contrary to
human experience to expect many of those who
voted against the law to make much effort to
enforce it. Nor can it be successfully enforced,
as has sometimes been attempted, by employing
cheap low class Of detectives or informers, for
money. For the simple reason that juries will
not convict on that kind of evidence. The court
can do nothing unless the party be first convicted
cannot indict unless you have evidence sufficient
i'll your judgment if uncontradicted to Justify
conviction.
The moral effect of ten indictments followed by
ten convictions is far greater than from thirty
indictments and only twenty convictions 1t is
the certainty rather than the number of convic-
tons that deters from the commission of offences
How then can this law be enforced, unless those
who advocate its adoption, lend active aid and
assistance in securing and furnishing the evidence
to the grand jury2 II they will not, the law in
Cecil will be what it is and has been in 80 many
other locaities,-litte better than farce. But
many after having voted for the law think they
have thus discharged their full duty, wash their
hands of the whole affair and ask why don't the
law officers enforce the law is their duty. So it
is but il is also the duty of the citizens well
the officer. Our only officers are the sheriff and
seven constables The man who would sell Il
glass ofwhiskey before one of them could Ger
tainly not be called crafty. The average pay of
the seven constahles for the nine districts last
year according to a statement rendered to me by |
the county treasurer for all services in criminal
cases-arrests, mileage, witnesses fraction |
less than Ito cents per day. The constable |
boards himself How you expect efficient |
service for that compensation? But the traffic |
can be carried on to an extent even though every |
man of them were to use his best enveavor to sup
press it. Not so if the citizens or anything like
majority of them, take hold of the matter in |
earnest, The citizen is everywhere. The trader
cannot avoid him. The effects of this traffic are
such as to betray men at once. No speak easy
can exist in any locality without the knowledge
of those who profess desire to see the law en-
forced. 1t will not do to wait until the grand
jury meets to make complaint. The law, if en-
forced at all, must be enforced day by day it Is
violated and for this reason violations are
mostly committed by strangers imported for the
purpose. The day before the grand jury meets
these persons leave. Many indictments are
brought in against them and cumbeP the records |
of the court. But the parties are never found or
heard of again. and the day after the grand Jury
adJourns fresh importation takes their places to
run the business until the next grand jury meets
and on from term to term. If the citizen II
man coming out of "a speak easy under the |
influence of liquor and believes he has bought it
there he has only 10 maize affidavit to that effect
before justice of the peace, secure warrant for
the arrest of the offender and have the persons so
seen Immediately summoned as witnesses and |
when put under oath they will tell the truth more
than nine times in ten. Having asked the man to
violate the law he will not voluntarily inform on
him but when without volition on his part he is |
put on bis oath he VIII tell the truth: If this
pursued in less than one mOnth there Wlnld not be
speak easyr or ''walking BAR in Cecil county,
every yiolator would be in jail the evidence |
ready for the grand jury, indictments and convic-
tiols would follow after that such sentences to
the House of Correction YoHld tolloW rs would |
deter any sane man from attempting TO make |
money by selling whiskey in Cecil county con |
trary to law.
Ganf II n HE rT0fkoS In Garu1anu