Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-10-13

justifies the belief that he would
exercise this power in favor of the
temperance law, even if he pos
sessed it.
| There is one feature in the viola
ton of these temperance laws en-
tirely different from the violation
of other criminal statutes. The or
binary violation of our criminal
laws is the isolated act of the indi-
vidual criminal, without the en-
couragement, assistance or con-
nivance of others, but many viola
tors of the anti-saloon laws in this
State during the past two years
have been traceable to something
other than the lawless desire of the
individual to sell whiskey. There
has been a powerful organization,
financial and political, actively en-
gagged in fighting the enforcement
of these laws, with the intention of
demanding their repeal or modif-
cation on the ground of the impos-
sibility of their enforcement. This
adds anarchy to bootlegging and
renders it still more incumbent
upon the officers of the lawto stand
firmly for the enforcement of these
laws SO long as they remain on our
statute books.
The modesty of Governor Pat
terson's demand in his platform for
the repeal of the four-mile law, so
far as it applies to Nashville, Mem
phis, Chattanooga and LaFollette,
is not in good faith. 1t is not what
he wants, nor what his convention
wanted. Governor Patterson and
his machine, if they had their way,
would repeal the four-mile law in
its entirety and reopen the grog
shops at every crossroads in Ten
neSsee. This is not rash state
ment nor an unjust one. Read his
personal liberty argument in his
printed speech of June 10. He says
that our people have never per-
mitted any other race or any part
of their own to control their per
sonal habits" This means either
majority or minority control and
precludes even local option. 1t is
the doctrine of individual option.
He says further, Prohibition is
wrong and never led to temper
ance." Wrong, we must infer, not
simply in the big town but the little
one as well. He then launches out
in an eloquent argument to the eff
feet that the proper way to develop
your boy and make him strong is to
surround him with temptations,
snareS and pitfalls, put saloon on
every corner and a brothel and
gambling hell in every block. Then,
to be sure that he gets the benefit
of this splendid environment,
wouldn't it be we'll to lead him into
these places and leave him there to
develop strength by cultivating his
powers of resistance. | was really
surprised to read this ninth page of
the Governors printed speech, con-
tradicting as it does his usual local
option utterances and disclosing his
real inward antipathy to all temper
ance legislation everywhere.
PARDON RECORD.
Governor Patterson, in speaking
of his pardon record, says: my
record for pardons has been larger
than usual" Which is a somewhat
mild statement of a very patent
fact. His record for pardons has
not only gone far beyond that of
any of his predecessors in office,
but seems to have exceeded that of
any State in the Union, North or
South. 1t is rather hard for Ten
nessee to understand why our State
has gained this unenviable distinc-
ton.
The Governor attributes it to his
natural kindness of heart; but we
have had many Governors in this
State, and doubtless in others, who
have been equally as capable of ten
derness and mercy as he. So this
explanation of the Governors fails
to explain. 1t is easy for the Gov
ernor to mention instances of exec
utive clemency that appeal strongly
to human pity. He tells us of par
dons he has given to the young, to
those manned in the mines, and to
those wrecked by tuberculosis and
other diseases. Many of these men
were, no doubt, worthy of clemency
. for the pathetic reasons men
toned by the Governor, and any
other Chief Executive would have
granted it to them. But the charge
against the Governor that he has
abused the pardoning power, and
made it political asset for him and
a financial one for his machine, is
not based upon the granting of the
comparatively small number of par
dons in the classes of cases just re-
ferred to. It is a fact, recognized