The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-06-29
That Grand Jury PrsssAtmsnt.
ENl:e.., FTs,-,.a nonnnorak.

Il
recent report Of the grand jury at Tai
lahassee. Surely it stands unprece-
dented and unexcelled in paradoxical
statements and illogical and cOntradic-
tory conclusions. We would recommend
a course in logic to the gentlemen COM
posing said jury before they again at
tempt, what appears to be, a covert
defense of saloons and disparagement
of prohibition. Let as note few items
in this report and see how it looks.
There seems to be no difficulty for
any one wishing to purchase liquor in
finding some one willing to sell it. "
Before taking up the statement which
directly cOntradicts the foregoing, we
wish to say, parenthetically, that any
one wishing to gamble has no difficulty
in finding some one to gamble with
him. And knowing this evil is being
carried on in many places, would It not
be we'll to open up public licensed gam
bling houses and encourage it all we
can? A man bent on any form of evil
has no difficulty in finding an accessory;
therefore, should not all these evils be
properly looked after by the good peO-
Pile, opened up to the public in respect
able way and made more easy to perpe-
trate? Were the worthy men Of the
RIdtu jury W Apply 'HiS alkuuiCHt WI
sistently to every form Of evil, nothing
would more quickly hurl the human
race into ruin and perdition. But we
are thankful to say they have made the
argument void even in this connection,
as will be noted in the following:
"Our sheriff and his deputies have
been jealous in searching out the Of
Tenders" If this statement is true,
the preceding one is false. Either the
sheriff and his deputies have failed to
do their sworn duty, or there is some
difficulty for one wishing to purchase
liquor in finding some one to sell it.
But as though they would defend the
sheriff and his deputies land why de-
fend them if they have zealOusly per-
formed their duty?) the report says:
''But he cannot arrest without sufficient
and direct evidence Of an actual sale. f"
Why do not these men, who seem to
know so much about 1.-THE ease with
which liquor can be obtained" furnish
the evidence? If members Of the grand
jury know there ''is no difficulty" and
that ut is easy to obtain liquor" why
shouldn't other people know it, and II
other people have the evidence, why
should not the sheriff have it? Aside
from the weakness of this argument,
ignorant Of the law. For their benefit
we will quote acts Of 1901, pages 81 and
81: at shall be the duty of all sheriffs,
deputy sheriffs, constables, and police
officers in their respective Jurisdictions,
and they are hereby authorized and
empowered to enter any building, booth,
tent or other place or part thereof with
or without warrant, in which they have
good cause to suspect that liquors are
kept for sale contrary to law, and to
seize the same and arrest the parties so
engaged in such sales, and IL liquors are
found in such quantities as to confirm
the belief of illegal sales, the same
shall be prima facie evidence of selling
liquor contrary to law" There you
have the LdlC, and it does not say that
the sheriff shall have direct evidence
of an actual sale" Which shall we be-
lieve, the law or the grand jury?
The grand jury would fain defend the
officers, but If liquors are sold in such
quantities as they assert, they have
wOefully made ground for the belief
that the officers are in collision with
the blind tigers, which is a very unfOr
tunate conclusion.
Again, this very remarkable present
ment says that 1.-THE law az now en-
forced and il must be enforced Istrange
enforcement Of law when there is no
difficulty at all in obtaining an article
which the law plainly says MUST NOT RI
soLDl may we'll lead To much false
swearing and bribery" Here we have
the argument that il a man is guilty of
an evil and swcars falsely concerning
il, the REMEDY for said evil is to license
it and make the law such that the man
may engage in il To limitless extent,
carry it on publicly and under the pro-
lection Of the lawl For il not, the man
MIGHT lie about it., and you know it's
wrong for man to liel Can il be be-
lieved for one moment, by intelligent
people, that false swearing and bribery
is a product Of prohibition? There is
scarcely term Of court held in any
county of the State at which false
swearing and bribery are not charged,
in cases too that do not involve prohibi-
ton.
'The ease with which liquor can he
obtained points TO a great danger that
threatens our boys" Shades Of the
saloon, protect u.s.
In the year 1906, in our capital city,
a grand jury, supposed to be composed
Of reputable citizens, indirectly states
TO his honor, Judge Malone, that the
bdrroOm is n better protection To our
boys than prohibition Indirectly, they
cry: Give us the saloon, where our
boys may drink undisturbedl Give us n
public, licensed hell up on the front
street. from which the tOrmcnting