The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1905-12-27
FOLK TO LIQUOI
MEN.
An Able and Interesting Letter in
Answer to Protests Against
The Missouri Sunday Law.

It is said that Governor Folk has re-
ceived more than thousand letters from
saloon mer protesting against his en-
forcement of the Sunday closing law in
Missouri.
IN reply to these protests he has adj
dressed the following letter to member
of Beer Drivers Union:
"Dear Sir:--I have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your favor pro-
testing against the enlargement of the
law requiring dramshops to close on
Sunday Any man has the privilege Of
urging the repeal 81 law through the
law-making body. but nd man has the
right to demand Of On executive official
rnRflie ,iolate his osLth 3 Office.
~ IT would be just as proper for me
to have the gambling laws or the
roency statutes enforced as to order
lat no attention be paidIto the dramshop
ws. It is my sworn duty to execute
he laws, and if every man and woman
q the state we're to protest against the
lramshop law l would still enforce it,
where have the power to do so, because
it would be my duty.
but the majority of the people of
,this state want the law enforced. Were
not This SO they would not have enacted
( the law, for laws are put upon the stat
ute books for some purpose. AS Gov
ernor, II must either stand for the law
or againdt the law must either observe
the oatlAI have taken or break it.
"Anj4I say to you, as long as l am
Goverrfbr am going to do my best to
uphold the law and keep my official oath
inviol he. No reasonable man could ex-
pect Hnything else from any executive
ofici
u say this law ought not to be en-
forct because it is an infringement of
the nt turel rights of the citizens of the
l.slae3N No one has a natural right to
keep a d9ushop open on Sunday, or
any other day cSSSe week. They exist
at all not as a matN of right, but by
tolerance. It is'a privilege that the state
can give or take away rs she pleases. In
this state dramshops lare permitted six
days in the week, but on Sunday they
are outlawed. The Ieople of Missouri
have decreed through the Legislature
that the dramshop is special menance
to peace and good orter on Sunday, and
have forbidden thsn to operate on that
day.
law in the large of Missouri, is re-
ducing crime b ne 10 per cent. as
shown by theI JFistics, demonstrates
that tHssctionL legislature in pass
'tnsssfnfs ssAte lssnot without wisdom.
However that 49,. nc. , 5 &c, * is the law. !
and any violation of it is lawlessness.
This is not even prohibition law, for
forbidding dramshop to sell intoxi-
cants or Sunday no more requires man
to totally abstain than the law prohibit
ing the sale of clothing OH Sunday de-
mands that a man go naked then.
II this law causes anyone any incon-
venience it matter to be regretted, but
il cannot be helped. / am told that the
Germans, as a rule, are opposed to the
enforcement of the law. This, believe,
is mistake. have German name
aad German blood in my veins, and am
broud of it, There are no more lawabid-
ing people anywhere than they are. They
tnay not like the law; they may be in
zavor Of its repeal; but they, being good
Eitizens, are in favor of observing the
Jaw because it is tile law, for they are