The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-01
THE"LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE"
SOME OBSERVATIONS IN REGARD
TO 1T.

in Yiew-Are Simply Seeking the
Public Good-Have Proposed Moth
ing Extreme or FanaticaI-SOme
Account of the Good Accomplished
by the MOvement-Other Points OF
Interest.
Savannah Ca, Aug. 31.-Savannah
Morning News: Although I do not
relish this kind of publicity. yet de-
sire, in the interest of the public good,
to make some observations concerning
a recent movement, sometimes referred
to as the Law and Order League"
or the Good Government League" of
which H. e. Wilson, Esq. is the legal
representative.
There is no league" There are no
laws. No obligation of any kind has
been taken. Back of Mr.. Wilson are
a committee of twenty-five gentlemen.
1 have yet to see the name of one
of them mentioned in the public prints
as being connected with the movement
At one of the Tabernacle meetings
large number of cards were signed UNI
der a statement that the signers were
not joining a law and order league, but
would merely indicate their readiness
to assist in the enforcement of law
and order. The committee may be re-
| garded as, in a sense, representing
| them and all other law abiding citizens.
| Very few of the committee backing Mr..
Wilson signed any card. l can say,
with accuracy. that all of them have
and deserve the respect and confidence
| of the community. Not one of them
| he of having
selfish purpose They belong to the
| non-politician class. Many of them are
| among the most prominent and respon-
sible of our citizens. Some are mem
bers of social clubs, including the Ogle-
thorpe. There is not one of them who
is ashamed or afraid to have his name
known. They are not a class of people,
however, who like to see their names in
the papers, and they prefer to avoid
publicity. when it is unnecessary
They have not proposed anything ex-
| IRENE fanatical or utopian. They have
confined themselves to gaming houses
and the violation of the statute against
the keeping of an open tipping house
on the Lords Day" this being the
name of the only statute against the
sale of liquor on Sunday The matter
of prize lighting and boxing contests
| was mentioned at their last meeting.
| but it was determined that they would
not enlarge their movement; that the
| two offenses mentioned would give the
movement sufficient scope and their at
| torney sufficient occupation. Mr. VIII
son has, therefore, nothing to do with
| other offenses, prize fighting, boxing
contests or any other.
A vast amount of good has been done.
No truthful and intelligent man can
have any doubt or question as to this.
The closing up of gaming houses, par
ticularly the policy shops and keno
rooms has been of inestimable adVant-
age to the community. Many ram
ily in Savannah have had food and the
other necessaries of life that they
would not have had but for this move
ment. Many a young man and older
one, too. has been arrested in career
of ruin and many heartache has been
| prevented. The prevalence of the gam
ing house evil has disgraccd and de-
| bauched our community for years. we
have been the dumping ground for gam
blers and blacklegs. Our reputation as
a community has been besmirched. NO
man unless utterly lost to shame, viii
fail to recognize the great good done
| If there be one who denies 1t, let him
| do so over his own signature III ne
does. his name will doubtless deprive
the denial of all force.
Mr.. Wilson began by getting at the
saloons which opened on Sunday, put'
for the reasons indicated in his letter
to the clubs, the movement was hanul-
capped and embarrassed by the fact
that he allowed the clubs to violate the
| same law and was discriminating
against the saloons, which are some
times called the Poor Mans club.
Mr.. Wilson is not only courageous
man, but he is a thoroughly manly
man. He could not answer the charge
| Ia
He concluded that he must, If neces-
harry, proceed against the CLUBS or
quit The result was that there was
another meeting of the committee, ana
his letter was written with its author
ity and by it's request.
1t is amazing to me how the gentle
men composing a club can hesitate as
to the course which they ought to
adopt The Augusta case, sounding as
| Norman VS.. the State, reported in 100
| Georgia. was determined upon and ad-
mitted state of facts and prominent
among them were that the club or
which Mohrman was the manager, was
a Social Club" that the sales of Ii
ouor were confined to the members ana
that such sales We're only incidental to
and not the main object of the organic
alton, which was social. The defenses
upon which the Savannah clubs would
rely were specifically made and passed
upon by the court. The adjudication IL
complete 1t is without a dissent. 1t
is by a court which the constitution of
our state makes the final arbiter of
this very question. The case stands
now, for every aw-abiding man, just
as if the statute had in terms included
clubs like the Oglethorpe Club. If
gentlemen say that they do not agree
with the court and will not abide by its
decision, then answer that the logical
result of this position, if carried out
to its last analysis. is lawlessness and
anarchy. Why may not a saloonkeeper
who closes all the public entrances to
his bar and keeps open only private
entrance to which only a few GUS
toners have access Cthey quietly and
privately taking their Sunday drinks)
say he does not keep an open tip
pling house on the Lords day. that
he does not agree with the court in
holding that he has violated the law
and he will continue his own way un-
der his own construction of the mean
ing OF the law? If the members OF
clubs and saloonmen can do this as
to this statute. why not as TO all 9TH
ers? What limit will you put to private
Judgment on public laws? What be-
comes of the functions of the courts?
What respect does this attitude evince
for the constitution of our state, our
fundamental law. which makes the de.
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