Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-05-30


young County Judge of Galloway
county, spoke at the Court House
Thursday evening, under the aus
pices of the Law and Order League,
to an audience that packed the court
room to overlooking, even to the
gallery. The meeting was called to
order by DR.. F. M. Sites, president
of the League, and opened with pray
er by Rev. Geo. H. Means, who was
shot at by the night riders when he
appeared at his window on the night
of the raid. Judge Wells was intro
duced by Hon. Hunter Wood in a
strong speech reviewing the devel-
opement of the lawless spirit in
Western Kentucky and the reign of
unchecked crime for two years. He
dwelt upon the necessity of the law
and order leagues to arouse the
people. His speech was VIGOROUS,
fearless and unspoken. He intro
duced Judge Wells as a real man and
leader of men who had been develop
ed by the crisis through which the
state of Kentucky was passing and
was proving equal to every test upon
him as a man and an official.
Judge Wells, in his initiatory re-
marks apologized for speaking from
manuscript, alleging lack of time
from pressure of other matters to
memorize his address, and added
that he thought it was well to have
every word uttered committed to
writing, to avoid being misquoted.
He gave a full outline of the his
tory of the association. His severe
denunciation of oppression of the
farmer by the trusts, was fearless
and sincere. There was a crying
need for organization on the part of
the planter. 1t was his only avail
able weapon. This organization was
made possible by legislation. 1t was
a righteous cause. The association
had won in the great battle against
the trusts. No organization of re-
cent years had been productive of
more benefcent results to a deserv-
ing people. Mortgages had been
lifted and the oppressed farmer was
now breathing the atmosphere of
financial liberty.
Just here, the speaker reached one
of those grand anti-climaxes that
electrified his audience. Said he:
Listen, folks: The association which
has accomplished all this deserves
success. The association should live,
the association MUST live. Night
riding is dangerous phase of law
lessness; night riding is subversive
of good government; night riding
arrays county against county, neigh
Dor against neighbor, even brother
against brother. Night riding is
a menace to civilization and NULL.
fer of the Bill of Rights. Night
riding should die; night riding MUST
die" Recruits. said he, to the Army
of the Lord, were reasoned in,
begged and persuaded in-not whip
ped and terrorized into the fold. |
The associations fight was won |
against the trusts, now let it purge
and conquer itself.
He deplored the prejudice existing
n the minds of some members of the
association against the Law and Or
Ter League. Listen" said he.
Every member of the association
Who seeks to perpetuate this benef-
'ent organization should join the
Jaw and Order League" LivesI
here a man among them who con-
ZONES crime? Who condemns the
efforts in this time OF need |
o re-establish law and punish crime?
)ivest yourself of the idea that the
4aw and Order League is a weapon
# the trust, even as we have denied
hat the association and night riders
ire identical.
Possibly, the most solemn utter
nee of the entire speech was con-
Iected with his mastery nortraval |,