The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-04-21
TEMPERANCE TOPICS

eve beg every man 10 read care
fully this extract from Judge Fite's
speech recently made in Gainesville,
Ga. We are glad to give space to such
utterances which go far toward the
spirit of the enforcement of law and
the consequent building of manhood,
civic ideals and regnant citizenship
Our Laws Better Than Our Officers
Our prohibition laws are all right
far they go, and they go about
far enough. What we need most is an
honest, faithful and vigorous enforce
ment of the laws which we now have.
However, there should be law max
ing the possession of a United States
license prima facie evidence of guilt.
Such a law would greatly facilitate the
enforcement of our present prohibition
laws and blind tigers, near-beer sa-
looms and breweries would soon be
thing of the past in Georgia.
When one says that he is opposed
TO our prohibition laws because they
don't prohibit, he says what is no;
true; what he knows is not true and
what the people know is not true. The
truth is, if he is opposed to them at all
it is because they do prohibit. at least
to some extent: and the more they pro-
hibit the stronger he is opposed to
them. To say that we cannot enforce
these laws is reflection upon our
manhood, and an insult TO our Ameri-
canism. and stamps incapable of
self government. | admit that these
laws are not enforced as they should
be, but the fault is not the laws, but
in the administration of them. The
one man most responsible for the non
enforcement of the law of a state is
the governor, and next to his are the
judges. and then come the solicitors
general. the sheriffs, and the Jurors in
the order named. Every criminal law
should be enforced, and can be il those
charged with the duty of enforcing
they are honest, faithful and efficient.
Every official whose duty il is to en-
force the law, and who knows that the
law is being violated. and il is in his
power to enforce il and fails and re-
fuses to do so, violates his oath of Of
flee. Secret crimes have always been
and will always be committed, mainly.
because it is difficult to get the proof
sufficient 10 convict, or 10 apprehend
the offender. however honest, faithful
and efficient the officials may be; and
no blame should attach to them on ac-
hibit such crimes. But this is not true
! of crimes that are openly and motor
/ iously committed. for they can and
should be promptly suppressed. and
the officials are cuIpable if this is not
done. Such is the condition OF affairs
| in Georgia today. and the officials
from governor TO bailif are response
bic for it, each in proportion to his Of
/ fetal authority. Every brewery and
every so-called near-beer saloon in
Georgia is being run in open and no.
torious violation OF the law, and these
officials know il, and could close them
! in twenty-four hours. but fail and re-
fuse to do it; and what is more. the
men who operate the breweries and
near beer saloons know that there Of
/ fiCialS know il. The only difference
/ between these men and the blind tig-
/ ers is that the blind tigers do not re-
spect the law, but fear it; while the
brewers and near-beer Saloonists
neither respect nor fear the law; nor
do they either respect or fear the Of