Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-06-11

low who changes his color to cores.
pond to that on which he sits. II
one of this class expresses an opin-
| ion favorable to law and order it
would be necessary to pat it into
"cold storage" 50 that it would
keep.
9Th. Those who at all times and
all occasions in decency and in order
condemn lawlessness and do what
they can in a private and and person
al way to put stop to SO unwise an
expedient.
9th. The sixth and last class do
not only do all that is set out in the
9Th class but are willing to be patri-
otto enough in these troublesome
times to organize in lawful way to
aid the officers, to collect evidence,
to stand guard or take any other le-
gal step towards the restoration of
law and order.
LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE.
II is my opinion that the citizen has
measured up to the best standard
who has resolved to do all that is
outlined insthe last class. And this
brings us to consider the mission Of
the Law and Order League. 1t is my
information that on the night of De-
cember 9Th, 1907. your own fair city
was visited by band of lawless men
who without regard to the rights of
citizens proceeded to shoot up the
town and commit many acts of wan
tonness and violence against life,
liberty and property. That the at
tack was made in the dead hours of
night while he- citizens were Sleep
ing, that soon thereafter, as soon as
you had sufficiently recovered from
your awful experience, you set about
to see what you could do to restore
VI ur security against a similar inva-
sion. That out of this necessity was
born the Law and Order League of
Hopkinsville, KY; that your mission
is peaceful one, that you are or.
ganized to protect homes,' wives and
children and your property from de-
vastation. If there is given to the
private citizen the right to defend
himself from violence, certainly no
fair minded man would deny that
the same right attaches to a stricken
city. Your mission is to cooperate
with your officers, to do all in your
power as good citizens to put an
end to lawlessness. Yours is not a
fight against organized labor but a
fight within the law to cure the can
Ger which threatens our very vitals.
A fight against a frenzied mob that
would rob US of our vested rights.
You recognize the fact that, no diff.
ference who the guilty parties are,
that it is a strike at civilized govern
ment. that it threatens our very
homes and firesides, that no man is
safe if the mad rush toward anarchy
is not checked.
The right to organize for better
prices is not denied, not even dis
puted, yea, rather invited. The asso-
citation idea is rounded on correct
principles and the results in better
prices are most pleasing. Let the
fight proceed, always within the pale
of the law. If the law is deficient
at any point let it be amended. This
is q matter that can be taken up in
the election of senators and repre-
sentatives. They can be definitely
instructed at this point. If the law
is already sufficient to indict the
trust or its agents for unlawful COM
binations or illegal enterprises let
the county and commonwealth at
torneys and circuit judges see to it
that the grand juries are instructed
at this point and let the grand juries
do their duty. We must carry on
the fight inside the law, resort to no
expedient.
How can we as officers who are
sworn to enforce the law stand spon-
sor for such illegal procedure. Il
had rather be dog and bay the
moon than be such a Roman" The
citizen who would by act, word or
deed aid, abet or encourage such I'M
lawful deeds has not fully counted
the cost. He may fancy that on &C.
count of his friendly attitude to-