The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-05-12
THE ONLY SAFE WAY.

Gov. Folk, of Missouri holds firmly
to the idea that sworn officers of the
law shout! enforce the law and that
violators of the law should be pun
lshed. To the liquor sellers of ST.
Louis who are disposed to violate the
Sunday closing law he issues this
warning: They say this law is =
blue law. Any law seems blue to
the individual who has selfish mttlve
In breaking it. IT they continue TO
violate it they will find this law will
assume a livelieT hue. 1t is the law
of the great State of Missouri; that is
enough. Furthermore, it is law In
the interest OF good government. to
prevent the enormous amount of chine
that comes out of the Sunday saloon
They say the law is a dead law Let
them ignore 1t. and they will receive
q shock that will teach them it is very
much alive. If it has been more hon.
oIed in the breach than in the observ-
ance great is the pity, but that was
true of the bribery statute. That, too,
was denounced as a blue law ana
dead law. but experience shows it to
be neither. -
Gov. Folk is neither a crank nor a
fanatic. He simply believes in public
honesty and the supremacy of the law.
Men can become SO accustomed to
defylng or disIegarding law that they |
finally come to regard enforcement of |
the law as an outrage and the advO-
Gates Of law as PuTirans and cIanks. |
The New York Sun says: ''Mr. Folk |
Is not fanatic. He is a very human |
sort of person, stalwart party man |
and an average American In his ideas,
tastes and sentiments. He simply be-
lieves that no public man can be en-
gagged in better work than stem ming
the tide of lawlessness which threatens
to sweep away our institutions. and
he is anxious to do his part, whatever
the consequences may be TO mis- politi-
cal future. The outlaw liquor dealers.
rs the Governor of Missouri calls them,
and the element in every community
that makes common cause with them
may In the end prevail against him
and ruin him when he has exhausted
every resource at his command and the
good people of Missouri have deserted
him. But we do not expect to see
him confounded and undone -
The people of Missouri seem to be
standing by him pretty well. The man
who shows courage and determination {
AL tuC VI HIS uuly Will always
command the confidence of the people.
The above clipping is from the Nash
vile American. The principle tor
which Gov. Folk of Missouri. is cor I
tending, and which the American is {
is the same principle the
Mayor of Columbia is contending for
that is, Law Enforcement. And 10y 1
Law Enforcement, he means. just as II
Gov. Folk means. Law Enforcement t
mot make believe law enforcement = '
not half hearted, partial, listless law C
not the safest easiest, t
cheapest way but straightforw t
manly, impartial, vigorous enforce Y
ment of the law. b
The same lawless element, and their il
'sympathizers, who call Joe Folk a q
crank" and fanatic, call Joe II
Brownlow crank and fanatic. The "
Iame gang" who have ridiculed the
blue" laws of st. Louis. and abused
md vllllfed and slandered the Goveror 4
If Missouri, have in like manner com \
)limented the Mayor of Columbia. III
The same class of conservative, chris y
ian citizenship which all over this n
treat Union endorses the Governor Of n
Missouri, here In Columbia endorse T
heir Mayor. c,