Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-05-21
In CONTEMPT OF STATE LAW ASB
STATE OFFICERS.

Judge Emory Speer openly supports
from the bench the proposition that
the federal government does wrong
to issue licenses to sell liquor in COM
munities where a prohibitory law is
in effect. Addressing the grand jury
at Macon this week he said to them:
How many authorizations are there
In this city, granted by the United
States government to sell liquor here?
think myself it is wrong, deeply
wrong, for the government to accept
the special tax and issue the receipt
in any community whereits people
have determined they will not have
the sale of intoxicating liquor, but it
IS accepted, and while there is much
talk here about respect for the state
laws, and the superior obligation OF
respecting the state laws, l am Off
cially Informed that there are in this
community between four and five hun
dred tax receipts of the United States
government openly exposed to view in
various places, which show that the
occupants are carrying on the business
of retail liquor dealers in utter vio-
lation of the law of the state. A man
cannot get one of those tax receipts
unless he swears he is going to carry
on the business of a retail liquor deal
er. The government obliges him to
expose it.
But the judge does not confine his
criticism to the national government
alone. He finds that the officers of
the law in Georgia are distinctly Gull
pable in winking at the violations Of
the law, in practically encouraging
blind tigers by their failure to take
advantage of the opportunity offered
them to secure evidence as to parties
who are receiving liquors in large
quantities and who have taken out
United States licenses for the sale of
the stuff. Says Judge Speer along
this line.
How easv :. would be to convict
hin "AIy to prove that he had an
internal revenue tax receipt and that
would make prima facie case of
guilt, because in order to get that tax
receipt he has to make oath that he
intends to carry on the business Of a
liquor dealer. Every record of the
government is open to the state Off
GERS. The president has ordered the
government officers to aid in enforc-
ing the temperance laws of the states
They do not violate the laws of this
jurisdiction SO much, because the low
est house of ill-fame in this town, or
the worst dive, except a few, perhaps,
will buy and pay for the right to carry
on the business under the United
States law anN lit in the faces of the
officers of the sIate courts and carry
| on their nefarious and damning bust
ness in utter disregard of the state
law.
These are facts that may not be
known to the people, but the records
show it. Whiskey is shipped in here
| by the carloads, the books of the ex-
| press company will show it. There is
one man in the neighborhood of this
| town who has at least thirty-fiye gov
eminent tax receipts for the privilege
| OF operating under each tax recent
| the business of retail liquor dealer.
| Some say he has fifty; he certainly
| has thirty-fve.
The conclusion that is drawn from
these facts IS one that many thinking
people entertain, that the permitting
of an open violation of one state law
breeds in the minds of the people a
contempt for and Indifference to
| other laws. The inclination is strong
to feel that if some men are permit
ted to fiagrantly violate one law it is
not wrong in other men to violate
some other law Considering this
phase of the situation, Judge Spec
says.
| Gentlemen, we are sowing the wind
| and we are going to reap the whfrl-
WIND. The violation of one law IN
whipped of justice is the justification
ana encouragement for the violation
OF other laws. Let liquor be dealt out
among the people freely and law
lessly dispensed, and then the appear
ance OF that many-headed monster. the
mob. When the mob comes. the how
with a strong nature, who sees his
rather taking part, will be a murderer
in his heart for the rest of his life.
That is true, exactly the same prin-
clple When a man has taken human
life he is always more dangerous
than any other, as a probable taker of
other human lives, just as when the
& ger has become a man-eater, it is a
man-eater forever.