The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-02
The Wessenwm.
CRIME-BREEDING LAWLEssNEss

There are acres or Iand yet unOC-
cup;ed here that should be converted
into factory sites. and we nave every
natural advantage that it Is possible
to bestow upon us. being supplied with
both fuel and water right at han
We have an abundance of timher here
that should be worked into furniture
or converted into manufactured goods
before being shipped away.
Our fertile valleys would AFFORD q
large supply of raw material for a
canning factory. and no better place
could be secured than. our town af-
fards. We often pause to Wonder
why it is hat those having money
hesitate TO put on foot some OF these
enterprises.
The above is an extract from The
Mountain Advocate in reference to
Barbourville, in Knox county, Ky.
This county is situated in the south
eastern section of the state in the
Cumberland valley. There is no finer
section of country in the United States.
1t is well watered, we'll timbered and
with most fertile soil. Nature has
done everything 10 make it a prosper
u and fruitful country. The Noun
ld1A AuNOCdlS dSho why IL Ii NV Ia
joying the fruits of the blessings ma
ture has so lavishly bestowed upon 1t.
The Louisville Herald says there is
not a mountain county in Kentucky
of which cannot be said the same as
does The Mountain Advocate of Knox.
1t then answer that question as ap-
nIiad not 0nlu RI Knnv hr1t fn' oil tho
other mountain counties of the state
in one word-"lawlessness." 1t says
1.-The cause of Kentucky's retarda.ion
is not far to find. Lawlessness it IS
lawlessness stamped with the approval
Of lawmakers and administrators of
the law"
We are glad to know hat it is not
so bad as this in North Carolina, but
we cannot claim to be entirely free
from criticism along this line. 1t can
not be said that lawlessness in This
state has the approval of the law-mak-
ers or of the administrators of he
law, but it cannot be denied that there
is too much laxity on the part of state
officials in certain sections in enfOrc-
ing the la~w-especially the law forbid
ding distilling liquors in rural districts,
and in those districts where this illic-
it distilling is going on there is The
greatest lawlessness to be found. That
this lawlessness is the outcome of this
wholesale moonshining no one can de-
ny. In these sections most frequently
occur deliberate murders, house burn
ings, secret assasslnations and kinored
crimes. County officials must know
that these blockade stills are in oper-
alton. They can't help knowing it and
they know what lawlessness and crime
they lead to, yet they take no steps
to suppress this unlawful and crime
breeding business In the trial in the
federal court in Wilkesboro the other
day on the Indictment of two men for
running a blockade still it was proven
that the defendants had operated a
steam distillery IN sight of a public
road in hat county for some time
without being interfered with by The
county officers. The violation of this
law is increasing with great rapidity,
and crime Isl keeping pace with It. In
some sections it is said men do not
dare to inform OIL the guilty ones, and
the officers are afraid to do their duty
in suppressing illicit distilling. This is
something new IN North Carolina and
comes from the neglect of duty by the
state officers in the beginning. The
moOnshiners nave become so bold and
defiant that they do not hesitate to
threaten citizens and officers. If these
men are not subdued some sections
of state will soon be like the
mountain districts of Kentucky.