The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-10-18

business in sixty days. 1t is also within
the power of the municipal authorities.
The non-enforcement Of the law has
been rendered more disgustingly fla
grant in Nashville by its enforcement
In spots. They have Segregated" it by
proclamation, and they enforce the law
ON one side of the street and violate il
on the other.
Joint Notice.
The same thing has happened in Mem
phis. Judge Edgington and General
Estes actually signed joint notice to
four lawless saloons In New South Mem
phis telling them to quit business.
This document is worthy of preserva-
tion as legal and governmental curios-
ity. Here it is:
at has been brought to our attention
that the place you are running is q
nuisance and a menace to the community
ia which you are located.
"This is to serve you with notice that
unless you have closed up your place of
business by next Saturday night and
stopped violation of the law, you will
be prosecuted to the full extent of the
law"
The Memphis newspaper goes on to
state that delegation of manufacturers
had protested against the sale of liquor
in New South Memphis, saying that it
demorali2ed the town and their business.
These worthy officials therefore pro-
claimed that the four-mile law must be
0beyed by these four little fellows over
I'M New South Memphis, but the other
hundreds of violators in Memphis proper
were left unmolested. Presumably they
are not demoralizing anybody in Mem
phis.
What travesty on jlstice What a
burning shame to public officials! l
would rather be knot ON dogwood
sapling in an Arkansas swamp than to
be such a judge on the criminal bench
of Memphis.
Favorite Attack.
One of the favorite attacks made upon
ne by opposition newspapers and spell
binders is that said in the campaign
of 1910 that would, If elected Gov.
ernor, enforce the statewide law to the
letter, and that would close the saloons
in the cities.
never at any moment in that cam
paign, publicly or privately, made such
an assertion or anything equivalent to it.
Such statement would have been dis
creditable either to my intelligence or
veracity. | knew then, as well as |
know now, that the Governor of Ten
nessee, under existing laws, cannot en-
force the four-mile law or any other
criminal law, to the letter, without the
cooperation of the local law-enforcing
officials, nor can they enforce it without
his cooperation. The Governor cannot
assume the duties of Judge, attrney-gen'
eral or sheriff, nor compel the perform
ance of their, duty. Neither can these
officials prevent the Governor from par
doning every man convicted of bootleg
ging.
A few weeks ago my attention was
called to the fact that one brief news-
paper report of one of my campaign
speeches of 1910 attributed to me the
statement that would enforce the four
mile Claw to the letter. This was the
inaccuracy of hasty newspaper report,
and was the language of the reporter,
and not Of myself. Two authorized
copies of my campaign speeches were
sent out during the campaign of 1910,
and they contain what really said upon
this question.
Condemned Officials.
In my speeches in that canvass, I con-
demned local officials for the non-en-
forcement of the law. severely crit
icized Governor Patterson for publicly
declaring that the law could not be en-
forced, for lending all the prestige and
influence of his office to the lawless ele-
ment, and for encouraging the violation
of the four-mile law by dangling the
hOpe-almost the assurance--of pardon,
before the eyes of the violators. prom
ised that if elected / would contribute
whatever official and personal prestige
might possess to the enforcement OF the
law, and that would discontinue the
abuse of executive clemency in behalf
OF the guilty bootleggers. | also pledged
myself to utilize every atom of power
conferred upon ME by existing laws, or
those thereafter enacted, in the enforce
ment of this law. | challenge any man
to point out wherein | have failed in
any particular to fulfill these promises.
have fought and contendcd for the
enforcement OF the law day in and day
out. | have consorted with the friends
instead of the enemies OF the law.
have upheld the judges and attor-
neys-general who have been trying to
enforce the four-mile law. Many OF them
have assured me that | have made it
far easier for them than it was under
Patterson. When they convict vio-
lator, he is punished instead of being
pardoned. In twenty months [ have
pardoned four violators of the four-mile
law. Patterson in his two terms par.
dOned 207 McMillin, in his two terms,
1t time when the law covered must
less territory, pardoned forty-four.
1t is safe to assert that the law is
better enforced today outside the cities
than it has ever been before.
| have recently joined with Attorney
General Gates in bringing suits to annul
the charters of certain Incorporated COM
panies engaged in the violation of the
four-mile law.
| interviewed in way that prevented
the promiscuous violation of the law at
the State Fair, both in 1911 and 1912.
This State Fair was temporary city,
under the control of the state, and we
had the power to act.
| gave much time and Thought to the