Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-01-25
SYMPOSIUM
Shall Our Prohibition Laws
Be Repealed Because
They Are Violated.


Surrender law because its enemies
violate it, Tennesseans have not usu.
ally been such towards. Nobody has
been found who is mean enough to de-
fend the liquor business or to com
mend its fruits.
The only argument thus far urged
against the law is that it cannot be
enforced. But it is enforced wherever
officers are honest and where official
perJurers do not draw their salaries
for lying. 1t remains to be proved
that even in the cities it has not been
helpful, for not every man who drinks
an occasional glass of intoxicants is
willing to patroDize lawless institu-
tion, and there is less drinking in
some of these centers than before the
law was enacted. In Nashville the
law was enforced for a month or so
and it was not until very recently that
it was hagrantly violated, and this
lane is not 80 long that we cannot al
ready see turn in it. If law is bad
its evil will be developed by enforce
ment; If it is good all the devils in
hell and on earth ought not to be al
lowed to prevent its enforcement
Compel the cities of Tennessee to
abandon their attitude of treason. 1t
will not be the first time, nor is it
likely to be the last, when, in a war
between right and wrong the rural
communities came to the rescue Of
right. Send us legislature that will
do its duty, and dauntless decency in
Tennessee will do the rest. ts
IRA LANDRETH, y
Nashville, Tenn.
Thoughtlessness or self interest inl
spires the thought, that, athe prohib-
ition law should be repealed because it
is violated in the cities.
No law should be repealed because.
it is violated, Such a course would
annul State sovereigptys and enthrone
lawless anarchy.
The real question in the matter of
repeal is, is the law right or wrong'
Does the drink traffic benefit or
harm the speople9 M
Who can say that there is good in
Intoxicating beverages, or deny that
the traffic is giant evil, destructive
to health, intellect, prosperity, moral
ity and religion.
The fact that tbisa law is violated
openly, and defiantly in few cities,
inspite of the protest of good men and |
women, that, need protection against
the lawless and vicious, is conclusive |
evidence that it should not be repeal |
ed.
Should local mobocracy dominate
the State and force the repeal of
good law
Never. The peerless sovereign State
of Tennessee, should never bow the |
knee of abject submission to
localized anarchy.
Yours truly,
W. /. MCFARLAND, |
Humboldt, Tenn. /
Should any other good law be repeal |
ed if it is violatedp The law against |
is as frequently violated in
the cities as the law against liquor
selling. Should our gambling laws be
repealed9
We have laws against public prosti-
tuition. And yet such houses flourish
unmole ted on the business streets of
our capital city, these places are ad-
vertaed in the pages of city daily
vice thus Haunting itself boldly in the
faces of decent people. Should this
law be repealed
10 OuIy QucbtiOu W uO IOuSluoISu
in reference to the law is, is the
thing prohibited wrong? If it is NOR
ally wrong, as we'll as a menace to the
we'll being of society, it should be for
Didden by law. Even if as much liq-
lor is sold under unenforceh prohibi-
ton as under license (there couldn't
DO more. for people get all they want
n either case), IL should be still be
1rohib ibited. A wise governmental pol
cy demands that vice should be pro-
,ibited, not licensed, regulated"
ind worst of all, protected by law
The thing to do is not to repeal the
aw, but TO enforce it. The securing
# the law was but the first battle won
n our war against the liquor traffic.
)ne battle never settled the issues of
my great war. Shall we surrender
he ground now because other battles
re to be fought before the victory is
inal and complete' Nay, verify. But
We will hold our laws. and work for
he election of men to Office who will
ee that they are enforced.
SILENA M. HOLMAN.
n-xx-.