The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-03-08
OFFICERS SHOULD
ENFORCE LAW
IL They Cannot Do II. or Will Not,
They Should Resign or be Re-
moved.


There hardly passes a week that
newspaper men are not called upon and
requested to say something in regard
to some matter of public abuse, viola
tions of law or failure of public officials
to enforce the laws which all swore to
uphold when they took oath to public
office, etc. and every one who makes
such request could just as easily and
consistently do those very acts them
selves in communications over their
own signatures in those same newspa-
pers.
1t is all right for the newspaper man
to be expected to denounce everything
that goes wrong, or is imagined to be
wrong, in a community, but how few
there are who give any consideration
to what may be the consequences of
such denunciation. Do many ever stop
to think that the printer who performs
this great public service has to depend
almost exclusively upon the people for
support, and is the only one who per-
sonally ncurs the enmity of those whom
he criticises and their friends, and must
suffer financial loss as the penalty of
performing this public service? And
does he not deserve better patronage,
encouragement and support from those
who desire all laws upheld
We speak the above from the fact
that we have this week, several times.
been requested, as a newspaper man Of
Tallahassee, ito speak out hard and
strong against the many things that
have happened in Tallahassee, and that
now are going on."--We are mUt in
clined to see laxity Of officers in full
filling and performing their iutIes go
without the strongest denun ,iatlon of
it and every good citizen Of cOmmu-
nifty should denounce and warn those
officers who fail TO enforce the law that
such action cannot and will not be toll
Grated. Now, almost every living
soul in Leon county knows il u be
fact that along with violation of
other laws, the prohibition laws
in Leon county have been and
still are being daily violated and
number of Tallahassee 5 very best citi-
zens have recently called the attention
Of Governor Broward 60 those abuses,
that a stop can be put to it, either by
making the delinquent officials perform
their whole duty, or by putting men
inf the nHnao bn ,.yi11 do All
over the county, it is common, daily. to
hear complaints Of this failure 10 per.
form duty and one of the laXity and
abuse Of the positions some Of our Off
Gals are credited with displaying. The
True Democrat denounces all this in
the good name of the people of Leon
county, and hopes the necessary steps
10 have corrected these existing abb ses
will be taken in hand at once 10y Gov
ernor Broward and our Mayor. and If
officers will treat lightly viOlatOrs Of
law, will see that they are removed
from office and men put in who will
uphold the law, even II IL cost the.h
their lives.
Now, 20 illustrate just what blind
tiger violatoTs in Tallahassee, and heir
sympathizers. aiders and abcttOr, NJ ]
90, let us reIate 10 the CltlZenS OF ldl-
ahassee just what did occur on the
streets and side walks. near the city
hall and market building Wednesday.
at about 1890 O'Clock, within City
yards of and under the very shadow Of
the Governors office in the capitol
building, for one from the window pf
his Office could easily have seen e.
Several "blIud tigers had beer r.
rested and were before the Mayors
court. an attorney raised the point Jnat
u witness had been convicted h. d, 1ls-
;icc' : court and, therefore, was $40 m
competent witness. and moved L. stop
the process Of law against his clients.
Here a recess was taken until o'clock.
and the crowd who We're attending
court came TO the sidewalk below, when
all Of that kind began TO poke all kinds
Of fun and ridicule upon the witness, IN
droves following him across the street
shouting, Leave here the most
glaring attempt TO intimidate the wit
ness--and by their actions and antics
openly defying and ridiculing any and
all honest effort to have prohibition
violatOrs Of law punished. Not a soul
or an officer protested or denounced
such action until the writer put stop
TO it by calling out, that II u was not
stopped he, himself. would 60 person
ally To Governor Broward and inform
him Of Il, and that no cfiieial was at
a. ord 49,