Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-01-10
Friday, january 10. 1902.

At last q jury has been found that
knocked all the starch out of the speak
easy" fellows. They feared 10 trust
their cases in the hands of the reputable
men which composed the misdemeanor
jury at the recent term of La
court, and threw themselves npoL =
presumed friendliness of the court, but
their reckoning was at fault. Judge
Ewell put fines upon the chief trans.
gressors at figures which all supposed
would cause them to desist. For this
the judge is to be greatly commended,
and we congratulate him that he retains
the confidence of the best citizens of the
county Virgiaia Citizen.
Good for the brave judge. The Times
does not believe in prohibition, but it be-
lieves in enforcing the law. When the
officers of the law find statute on the
books it is not their business 10 pass
upon its merits; it is their sworn duty to
enforce it. 1t is as surely lawless for
man to sell liquor in community where
prohibition law exists as It is for him
to run lottery or conduct gambling
hell. Such lawlessness is not to be toll
Grated by those who are sworn to uphold
the law.-Richmond Times.
And good for the esteemed Times.
1t strikes the right note. We can't
all think alike about prohibition, as
in many other matters, but if we
know our contemporary Alright it
will agree with us that where an
overwhelming sentiment is for local
option, and the best citizens of a
county see that it is conducive not
only to the moral but the material
welfare OF the community, then local
option is right and proper. Then.
as the Times so forclbly declares,
when this is law it ia right that it
should be enforced. We 90 further
and say, if violations of law consti-
tute crime it is little short of crime
where officers refuse to enforce the
law. Lancaster is one of the water
counties which numbers many ne
groes among its permanent popula.
ton and 81 large class of floating
whites that is peculiar TO Underwater
sections. 1t is because of these
classes that criminal expenses are so
enormous in such localities, and it is
largely the fault of liquor that
makes it so. For some wears Ian
caster has been local option
county, and, Notwithstanding the
uninterrupted sale of liquor in GER
tain portions of the county, we can
show a marked decrease in crime
and criminal expenses. Aside from
the moral question this must appeal
to the plaudits of all good citizens.
1t is indeed gratifying to see that
the court officials and some of our
magistrates are measuring up to the
occasion presented by an almost
unparalleled record Of violations of
the liquor laws. The experience of
Lancaster may be the experience of
other counties, and great oppor-
tunity is afforded the Constitutional
Convention, or the Legislature, for
making easy the way to enforce local
option laws. One simple act would
do it, and that is to make the possess
sion of United States revenue
license prima facie evidence that
liquor is being sold. Speak-easies,
IN our experience, defy state and
county laws, but they fear to triae
with Uncle Sam. So, periodically
the internal revenue officer visits our
county and deals out government
licenses, and under existing statutes
there is no way to utilize this evil
dence. A great boon would be con-
ferred upon many sections if our
suggestion were taken up by the
influential city papers and the proper
legislation enacted