The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-02-28
local Option Departo't


there Is an arrest and prosecution
In other places nearly every day IN
the week the sidewalks, in front OF
saloons especially, are blockaded
by groups Of men, some of them un'
der the influence Of Intoxicating
liquor, the center of attraction being
IA quarrel or fight, or some drunken
man with whom the crowd is having
its sport, and yet no arrests are
made unless one of the cOmbatants
makes complaint against the other,
which seldom happens. In such
cases the ladies go out into the
street to get by or cross the street
and walk down the other side. They
are helpless. The officers don't ar
rest; the business men are afraid
they will lose trade If they interfere,
and meh get used to it and take ii as
IA matter of course and say, This is
a free country. Let the boys have
their fun, they won't hurt each
other
"As long as | am on the bench |
shall try to comply with my oath Of
Office; will interpret the laws to the
best of my ability, being governed
by the opinions of the Supreme and
Appellate courts, even when not in
conformity with my individual opin-
ion; will have no particular law
which / shall want enforced in pref
ercnce to others, and none that
shall use my influence to make dead
letters. Neither shall | try to usurp
the powers or duties Of the exccu-
tiVes, the sheriff and prosecuting Mt
t0rney, or any other officer. ! will
not, as | have often been requested
to do, order those officers to enforce
any particular law, or any law. They
have been elected by the people,
they have taken their oath of office, |
and they have their duties to per |
form, and have mine, one Of which |
Is to, If possible, have no bias or
in any case tried before
me. ] will not try case in which !
stand In the attitude of prosecutor,
and ] will never willingly place my
self in that attitude. My position is
one of utter impartiality. Nomatter
what crime man is charged with,
he should have a fair trial. If gull
ty, convicted, and If the evidence is
not entirely satisfactory to the
minds OF the jury, or to the court,
as the case may be, he should be ac-
quilted, no matter how much the
)opulace clamor for his conviction.
On the other hand, popular clamor
should not be allowed to work the
lcqnittal Of one who is guilty.
"As to the question of whether
he local option, or any other law,
'an bc enforced, that, of course, de-
lends upon the people, the executive
'fiiccrs they elect, the truthfulness
# the witnesses. No law is so
thoroughly enforced AS to prevent
IS violation, nor is there any law,
vi violations of which all guilty are '
:
Il find that the local option law is
much better enforced, and obeyed
more willingly, in Bollinger and
MADISON counties than the saloon
avs are in Perry, Ste. Genevieve
nd st. Francois counties, and i'm
better than they were
wo years ago, and while In the trial
4 local option cases it frequently
appens that it is impossible to avoid
he impression that witnesses have
erjured themselves, yet this does
OF occur as frequently as in trials
Or n violation OF the saloon laws,
or liz II as often the case that the
illnesses are young and inexperi- :
need boys.
"Yours truly,
"CHAS. A. KILLIAN." !