The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-01-03
PUBLIC SENTIMENT.

observation that unless public senti-
ment is in favor of law and demands
it's enforcement. it falls into "inocu-
ous desuetude' and becomes dead
letter.
AS an instance of how law will be-
come dead letter unless supported by
public sentiment, we will cite the dog
law. There is no demand ON the part
Of the public for its enforcement. Pub
lie sentiment does not seem to be IN
favor Of it. Nobody is paying any at
tention to it.
On the other hand, take the law
against selling liquor without license.
The legislature of 1899 made the PEN
atty for a violation Of this law six
months imprisonment in the county
Jail, and fine of not less than fifty
dollars nor more than two hundred
dollars And we see determined
effort in every community to enforce
il and the consequence is that it is
enforced and those risky citizens who
violate the law find themselves Ian
gushing in cold cells for their folly.
Some time ago McMinnville went
dry, surrendered it's charter, and the
saloon man was therefore out OF a Job.
He had some old stock on hand and he
devised a plan to get rid Of it. He
confessed judgement few days ago in
favor OF some friend, had his stock OF
LIQUORS levied on and was going to get
the Sheriff to sell it out at auction by
the quart. A pretty slick scheme. But
the people were on to it. They saw
through the fraud and were not going
TO tolerate it. So when the Sheriff
began the sale he was arrested. He
made bond and started again. He was
arrested again, and for several times,
until he finally saw that he was not
only up against the law, but up against
determined public sentiment which
was going to see the law enforced, and
he quit.
We all know the determined fight the
people Of the community over in Dick
son have been making against the sa-
loon man that thought-to override the
law there, and at Erin last week a
number Of citizens banded together
and raided an illegal whiskey joint. and
with sledge hammers and axes de-
stroyed it. pouring all the whiskey onto
the ground, and notifying the whiskey
dealer and his chum, the whiskey
Mayor, that if they didn't stop their
nefarious business they might expect
worse to follow. Rather high
handed proceeding, we admit, but IT
shows the public sentiment against the
liquor traffic in Erin.
A great many other small towns in the
state have surrendered their charters
in order to get rid Of the saloon, and
the people everywhere are up in arms
to see that the law against selling
liunor is enforced. And the courts, we
are glad to see, are giving wholesome
Interpretation of the statute in order
to reach the many devices and evas-
ions. A case decided BY the Supreme
Court at the present session. that went
up from Lawrenceburg, held that the
man that went to the telephone in
Lawrenceburg and ordered quart OF
whiskey from Iron City in his own
name. and received it in his own name,
and then turned 1t over to party in
Lawrenceburg and received the money
for it, was guilty of selling liquor
without license, even though the de-
fendsnt trofessed.noil o have ma le any
thing out Of the sale and to have been
ordering it for accommodation. But
the court held that he had no more
right to sell liquor without license for
accommodation than he did to sell it
for profit. It was just patent eva
sion Of the law, and the court and the
Jury saw it and convicted the defend
ant, and he is now serving his six
months in Jail.
With this disposition on the part Of
the courts and the juries, backed by a
strong public sentiment, the liquor
men will soon, learn what they are up
against. Before the Imprisonment
feature the liquor men would take the
risk, and If caught would pay out.
They could make enough and more be-
tween courts to pay up. But the Inn
prisonment feature which is manda-
tory--has set them to thinking. They
cannot pay out the imprisonment. They
must 60 to jail for Six months. '.rhe
law doth give it, ana burt awards
IL. Z Let ia "A x ~
put men IN to
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