The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-07-06
Rsply % w. ]. c.
] c. COLLINS. PuAlIshs

Twin coy SAAaN III NY ORAAAACh ~ NAN Aeo
jduty without fear or favor. l under
stand that the writer Of this article is
not a citizen of this county, and since
the grand jury of Leon is only answer
able to its own citizens, my remarks
emanate from me personally and not as
foreman. w. J. C., in most inconse-
quent manner, abstracts a clause here
and a clause there from the present
ment without any reference to its rela-
tion to the rest of the matter, and
claims to show from them that the
members of Icons grand jury are UN-
TRUTHFUL, INCONSISTENT, ILLOGICAL
and CONTRADICTORY. For example, he
amputates from the BODY of the pre-
sentiment these two members: LIST.
There seems to be no difficulty for any
one desiring to purchase liquor in finding
some one to sell II" I'd. Our sheriff
and his deputies have been Jealous in
searching out the offenders. Then he
proceeds with his 'logic" CD by saying
that IF the last statement is true the
first statement is false" that "ether
the sheriff and his deputies have failed
to do their sworn duty or there UOutd
be some difficulty for one wishing to
purchase liquor in finding some one to
sell it" Now | say mon sequltur.
The sheriff's sworn duty is not to pre-
vent persons from attempting to sell
liquor, but to arrest them when they do
so. The number Of cases brought be-
fore the grand jury by the sheriff
proves that the second clause is true,
and the fact that the grand jury found
so many true bills and the petit jury
brought in the verdict Of guilty in every
case, but two land that one of these
was mistriaD, proves the first clause
true. So instead of these statements
being false" or contradictory, |
say that each bears testimony to the
truth of the other. The grand jury was
animated by the desire and determine
tion to do its full duty and to conscien-
tiously deal with the facts as they were
presented. That they did their duty
well is proven by the large number of
convictions that the petit jury found in
the long list of indictments furnished
by the grand jury, and also by the very
complimentary remarks on their work
addressed TO them from the bench by
his honor, Judge Malone.
In drawing up their presentment the
grand jury considered 1t their duty to
emphasize their work by calling the at
tention Of the good citizens of our coun-
ty to the true condition of affairs, and
in doing so simply stated facts that
were proved later in open court. If
the statements were "paradoXical" and
the conclusions illogical, " then so must
be the facts. What are the facts?
Stated briefly, many witnesses, both
white and colored, testified that they
were given money by the sheriff and
to-i by him to go and purchase liquor
from certain parties. This they did with
ABSOLUTELY no difficulty and delivered
- 30, kka gha,.;F bn loh alaA -
and retained it as evidence. In almost
every instance, all but two in fact, the
bottled liquQ was purchased from the
vendors on the street and delivered
over from the pocket of one to the
pocket of the other In only two in
stances was there any PLACE known
that could be raided by the sheriff had
he been so unwise as to do so without
first securing the more conclusive evil |
dence Of an actual sale.
w. j. c., learned in the law, states
the law | presume correctly, as to the |
sheriff shaving authority to enter any
mans house with or WITHOUT warrant |
to search for liquor Now granting the
law to be constitutional, which in my
humble opinion it is not, the sheriff can |
safely do so, but nothing would please |
the liquor dealers more than such an in |
temperate enforcement Of the law. A |
few such search-parties would quickly |
lead to a repeal of the law and the vot-
ing of the dry counties wet again, if |
not to bloodshed, as was the case in
South Carolina, for we of the South are
still free people and mans house is
his castle. Any evidence, however, thus
obtained would at best be only prima-
facie evidence, and our sheriff knows
from past experience that while he
might find sufficient liquor TO warrant
an arrest, it would be exceedingly
doubtful if jury would convict on such
evidence alone and w. J. c. must ad-
nit that the conviction Of the offenders
is the desired end
w. J. c. asks: why do not these
men (the grand jury, who seem to
know so much about the ease with which
liquor can be obtained, furnish the evil
dence?" IF members of the grand
jury know that there is no difficulty
and that it is easy 70 obtain liquor,
why shouldn't other people know it,
and if other people have the evidence,
why should not the sheriff have it," In
view Of the facts, such questions are
puerile, for the presentment itself
makes clear TO any mind, logical or
illogical, that the knowledge of the
grand jury on this subject was based
on the evidence brought before them by
the sheriff, and the court records show