The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-10-28
To the Law Abiding Citizens OF North
Carolina.

stantly studying the situation IN all
parts Of North Carolina, both in per-
son and by correspondence, let me
say there is great need for the friends
of law to be active at this time.
Too many of our good citizens who
worked and voted for the law last
year, are not working for enforce
ment now. My purpose in this COM
munication is not to discount the
good that is coming from our law or
even intimate that the law is fail
ure, but rather to emphasize the ne
cessity of vigilance and constant
work on the results from our prohi-
bition law.
Some of the communications COM
ing to our office are alarming in
their contents. A communication
from minister yesterday stated
that he thought there were one hun
bred blind tigers in his town. We
are constantly receiving letters that
are telling US of the lack of enforce
ment in various communities. |
might add that in a certain town in
North Carolina on one Saturday
night, l made it a point to see for
myself what was going on, and be-
ing a comparatively stranger, | could
place myself in a position to learn
some things. In an hour and fifteen
minutes, l saw eleven people drunk;
also saw a white man drunk, a negro
man half drunk and three negro
women drinking from the same tick
Ter. This was in the middle of the
street. l discovered too that in that
portion of the town, where lawless-
ness was going on with a high hand
at nine o'clock on Saturday night,
that there was not an officer to be
seen. | saw them however in few
minutes on the most prominent
street in the town, where law ard
order was reigning.
This leads me to state in some
towns and counties in our state,
the officers are not doing their duty,
and that the situation is in the hands
of the citizens to elect such officers
as will be true to their duty in the
enforcement of this law as we'll as
others. Our general superinten-
dent, DR.. P. A. Baker, says: what
is needed in most communities, af-
ter the saloon is abolished, is to go
forward and abolish the public Of
ficials at the next election by cleo
ting only those who are friendly to
the law. Friendly officials will en-
force the law and unfriendly officials
will neither enforce it or premit you
to do it," AS l see it, just ahead of
US in North Carolina is the agita-
ton and election Of such officers as
have the courage of their conviction
and manhood to do their sworn duty.
How any official can take an oath
to enforce law and then can not Only
be Indifferent to enforcement but ac-
tually aid and abet lawlessness is be-
You'd my comprehension, and urely
such one is lacking in the princi-.
pies of honesty and manhood. Speak
ing on this point, Judge Seaborn
Wright said in a speech recently
made in Ohio: 'The Supreme dan
ger confronting the American pee
pie today is official anarchy. Say
what you will, disguised it as you will,
the officer who refuses to enforce
law is an anarchist ten thousand
times more dangerous than the red
shirted, bomb throwing savages from
the slumbs of our cities. The Liquor
interest stands for open notification
of law when it affects their interest
as class. When they are strong
they elect officials, whose duty it is
to enforce all law, pledged to nullif-
cation of this law. There is but one
name for this, anarchy"
l want also in this connection to
call the attention to our faithful
friends, the preachers of North Caro-
lima, to this matter of lawlessness.
No one questions the fact that the
Bible most emphatically teaches US
as citizens, to Submit ourselves to
every ordinance of man." AS Paul
puts it: "Be subject to the higher
powers" and this Bible doctrine
was emphasized by many churches in
their annual gathering last fall.
1t occures to me, that at this stage
in the history of temperance reform
in our state, it is needful for the
pastors to preach to our people on
the duties of citizenship or some
kindred topic, warning them against
disobedience, rebellion, anarchy, and
urging them to give their evidence
and use their influence for the en-
forcement of our law.
Again l say, there is no question
in my mind as to the Improvement
already to be seen in our state un-
der prohibition, but still there are
grievances and evils that must he