The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-24
WILL BE IMPORTANT LAW IS A FAILURE
or NEW DECATUR
 DTsGUsTED.
Mayor Blackwell Wants Ordinances s' Passed To Assist officers an TAe Enforcement of Measure
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 aa Decatur. Aug, 2S-(Special)--In public statement just given out Mayor Samuel Blackwell. of New Decatur. yir- tually admits. that prChibition In New Decatur is farce and failures sAyssS
 There are now in the hands of khe Police Conamittee of the City Council of New Decatur three prohibition ordi- nances." One of these ordinances pro- hibits the storing of intoxicating liquors in public places, another ordt- nance requires the removal of all oD- structions in places where "Malthale, "Beerene" etc, Is sold, and the other 'oSdinance requires these places to keep says, he "favors the immediate passage of thase ordinances"
 Tn spes king of the anti-storing ordi- nance heArays: "The passage of this ordinance is, absolutely necessary for the proper eIh srcement of the prchibi- tion law The authors of the prohibi- tfon law passed at aei~ extra session of the Legislature last November did not do all that was necessary to it's entorear ment While 1t prohibits the sale of il toxfcants, 1t did not throw all of th restraints around the law to prevent it being violated or to secure its enforce ment To allow any one dealing h soft drinks or merchandise of any char acter to store or deposit intoxicants 1T their places of business. and make tt as legal to keep these tntoxicants in there as 1t would be to store your win- ter blankets in their house. Is to sini- ply invite men who are willing to violate law to make money, to violate it. Of course 1t says they shall not sell 1t. give 1t away or otherwise dis- pose of it. But you can see at a glance if there are those who love money we'll enough to violate law in order to get 1t. that the arrangement this law al- lows furnishes the opportunity.
 The law was passed hurrfedly and like many new and important laws. tt | is imperfect In its manner of execution. and in the safeguard thrown around it 1 to prevent or make hard its violation.
 Some good friends of temperance seem to think, because this law is not immediately susceptible of perfect exe- cution that prohibition is failure. or that police officers are derelict in the discharge of their duties. Neither are necessarily true. Tn all far-reaching laws 1t requires time to show it's de- fects, and to provide remedies to cure defects.
 "The' anti-storing ordinance in my judgment will so long way towards curing the defect in the present pro- hibition law as applied to New peca- tur4 advocated, the immediate pas sage of this ordinance the night it was introduced. I trust it will be passed atlthe next meeting of the board. Let us perfect the law as much as possible and give 1t fair chance before con- demningsit.
 T think the ordinance closing soft drink stands on Sundays which sell Rfaithale and other beverages tkak 1conr tain alcohol Sn any quantity should pass Also the ons xanae viIs screens. shades blinds or anything that prevents an unobstructed view of the premises, should be passed. If patrons of these places drink nothing but soft drinks they will not object to being seen. If they drink. anything else the party sell ing it ought to be ssen.'
 i: Mayor Blackwell took the lead in the prohibition fight in this county last fall. being the chairman of the county campaign committee for prohibition. The county went for prohibition by q majority. of about five to one. Pro- hibition went into effect in the peca- turs, and in the entire county on Janu-s Ary 1st.
 The New Decatur Advertiser in a re- cent issue charges that the prohibition laws are being openly violated in New Decatur. Drunken men are often seen on the streets there, Several former prohibitionists in New Decatur are now conforming the prohibition laws and one man who favored prohibition said that he had come to the conclusion that a dispensary was the thing.
 Since prohibition went into effect the salary of the Mayor of New Decatur has been reduced from SI.000 to $500 a year A new mayor and board Of alder men arc to be elected on September 21st, and as yet no one has announcad for the office of mayor and 1t seems now that no one wants the job at 950 a month. Mayor Blackwell has no said whether he wants the job again at thls price or not