The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-29
MASS MEET|NG| Is
 HELD IN GADSDEN Resolutions DenOunce Gov
 ernor's Action PROHIBITION CASES Enthusiastic Meeting Is Held and the Pardoning of Men Convicted of
 Illicit Liquor Selling Is
 Condemned
CASES

Gadsden, June 2S.-(Special.) )-Fully 800 people responded to the call for a mass meeting in this city today to pass resolu- tions expressing the sentiments of the people in reference to the action of Gov ernor O'Neal in pardoning and paroling the men convicted of illicit liquor selling in this county. The meeting was called to order shortly after 10 by Capt. J. M. Elliott, who stated that 1t was not a pro- hibition meeting, but was called in the name of law and order and all good law abiding citizens were expected to be present and participate. After the se- lection of chairman "a number of ad- dresses were made indicating the senti- ment of the community. A committee was appointed to draft resolutions ex- pressing this sentiment, and the following were named; Capt. J. NJ. Elliott, George D. Motley, the Rev. J. G. Dickinson, A. J. McGlathery. Edward Stewart, Marion Smith, J. B. Wadsworth, w. R. Walker, A. M. Sims, J. R. McCluney, Dr. George w. Reed and Dr. E. H. Cross. This com mittee brought in the following resolu- tionse which were adopted almost unani- mously. Only two men in all the large audience which packed the large county courtroom objected to their passage.
 ''Whereas Claud Chaney, Tom Higgins and. J. T. Howle, all well known in this community as notorious violators of the prohibition law, having been repeatedly ngaged in the illegal business of con ducting blind tigers to the great detri- ment and embarrassment of this com- munity;
 Whereas, The above parties were in dicted and after full and fair trial in our courts were justly convicted and sen- tenced by the court; and whereas, upon appeal by the same parties to the su- preme court the sentence of the lower court was affirmed as just and equitable; and,
 Whereas Gov. Emmet O'Neal has par doned or paroled all of these in success sion hastily and without full investiga- tion of the facts in the case, and without giving the people of this county who favor the enforcement of law an oppor- tunity to present the evidence support ing the conviction, this being especially true in the case of Higgins and Howle; and,
 Whereas, The governor was informed by number of reliable citizens through a joint letter of the character of both parties, Higgins and Howle, that they were notorious violators of the prohibition law, and that Howle had boasted that the gov- ernor would pardon. him in the event he - in the face of the people his violation of the prohibition law, boasting he could vio- late the law with impunity; and,
 Whereas, The governor, disregarding all this, hastily paroled these parties; therefore be 1t
 Resolved, That we, the citizens of Eto- wah county, in meeting assembled, de- nounce the action of the governor in giv- ing aid to these violators of the law, this action being subversive of good gov encouragement of law and order, giving encouragement to violators not only of the prohibition law, but of all law ana tending to bring the administration of justice and the enforcement of this law Into disrepute and contempt; be it fur ther
 Resolved, That We pledge our support and the support of all good citizens to the governor, officers and courts in up- holding the law and in bringing vio- lators of the law to jus uce, and we call upon them to go for ward more vigorously than ever in their efforts to suppress violators of the law
 Resolved, further, That we recommend and indorse the stand taken by the Gads- den Times-News and the Evening Journal in their stand for righteousness and the enforcement of law; and we especially commend the editorials in favor of the home, family and protection of society by enforcement of law"