St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-08-07
HOT MEETING OF LAW
And ORDER LEAGUE
PrssIdehl Of Lsagas, and Ct Aail.saIaaR laa.
gus, Gail 4 Hssliag
1T WAS WELL ATTENDED
ana AlI PFsaounesd In OppOsItien Of IaWIsss.
nass..Maay speeches Ara Made, soms 81
TAsm PsppsRy.

The Law and Order" meeting at
the courthouse Wednesday evening
at 4 o'clock, called BY Hon. G. ].
Thompson. President of the Law and
Order League, and DR.. Paul Foster,
President Of the Anti-Saloon League,
was largely attended, but the crowd
was plainly not Of one way Of think
ing.
The speakers who advocated the
strict enforcement of the prohibition
law land they all did that were
heartily cheered, but when It came
to the question Of the propriety Of
bringing in detectives to ferret out
the violations, and the quasi censur-
ing OF the officers, there was well
marked division, It may be said
that the audience was equally divided
on that question. The test came
when Sheriff Swords, who was called
upon, severely arraigned those who
took the matter of the enforcement
|tof the law into their own hands and
brought the two detectives here, and
when the Sheriff charged one Of the
imported detectives with robbing d
fellow bearder at the Holland House
of some 800. The Sheriff received
such laundering applause that it was
evident be had reached the pulse Of
his audience.
On the other hand, when President
Thennson declared that sf the laws
Of the land were not honestly and
fearlessly enforced the League would
take steps to impeach the dereliei
officers, he was applaaded to the
echo, showing that . large portion
Of the audience were Of the same
sentiment.
The meeting was called upon the
heels Of the afray Of the night
before, when the two detectives
procured here by the prohibitionists
were assaulted. II vas the purpose
| to organize citizen body to prevent
tie recurrence Of any such laWlessness
ard further to take the blind tiger
situation in hand. The posters were
ISSUED late in the dag, and the large
EaAtendance showed that there was
mlmense interest in the subject here
Superintendent of Public Education
fThompson opened the meeting, anc
limade a ringing speech Mr.. ]. G.
lLawler acted as secretary
Mr.. Thompson recalled that some
I-Gght months ago the nucleus Of ]
ILaW and Order League was organized
.at the courthouse, but that The Or.
eanization had been inactive up tc
Ethis time. It was memantous, how
.eEer. that it now aroases itself and
lttake the field with Vim and determi.
Ination. It was proposed that che
lpFohibition as well as all other laws
.ea the statute books should be en-
Iforced, and the League would see
that they were. The League would
cooperate with the officers, and that
il the constituted officers would not
cooperate with the League if they
would criminally neglect to perform
their sworn duties then the League
would see that impeachment pro-
I,eeedngs were instituted against
them he said that the time had
E.cone when the citizenry should take
action in the open and hagrant viola
tioas Of the prohibition law; that ii
was high time that the people Of the
eemmunity should be brought to a
feeling of safety BY the rigid enforce
ment Of the law. Mr.. Thompson was
heartily applaaded.
Hoa. Dudley L. Guilbeau was call
ed apoa BY the audience, and re-
sDolded ia a speech that was loudly
applaaded. Mr. Guilbeau heartily
approved the organization Of a Law
and Order League, bat did not agree
with those who jumped on the Off
GERS Of the law too hastily. Hesaid be
understood that the League would be
al auxiliary, as It were, to the Off
cial body, and vas not to be consi-
dered as antagonistic to them. Both
working in harmony was necessary
to accomplish results. He said that
SOM months ago, when It was at
tempted to organize Law and Or
der, League, be opposed the move on
the ground Of prematurity, II then
being some eight months in advance
Of the time when the prohibition law
vas to become operative. 'But TO-
day ! am ready to join and do all in
M power 10 enforce the law and
bring TO Justice these violators ol
the law. / believe the officers oi
sc. ,an4rv. with the sentiment al