Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1912-02-07
1.-THE DISGRACE Of RALEIGH" {"
Conditions There, However, are Better than
in R0Wsn's Rum ridden Capital,

torial on the lack of law en-
forcement in that city, Il
has bsen known that the pro-
hibition is being fagrantIy
violated in Raleigh, and the
city authorities seem to be
doing nothing to change this
disgraceful condition. The
News and Observer:
"It may be truly said that
none of the officials : have
done their duty fully. 1t is
equally true the people have
been asleep or Indifferent
while the blind tigers and
cooperative barrooms, other
wise known as clubs, have
applied their heljish trade
without let or hindrauce.
The time has come when
Raleigh must rem we this
disgraceful advertisement to
the world thai its city gov
ernment is Incompetent. Pri~
marily, the Police Commis-
sion and the Police Justice
are charged with the duty Of
enforcing the State Prohibits
tion law in Rale gh, but they
claim that the evidence cans
not BIZ obtained by men III
uniform, aud, therefore, they
cannot enforce the law, but
that, it they had the means
at their command to employ
private detectives AMI plains
clothed policemen, they would
be able to get certain evil
dence upon which the blind
tiger men could be couvict>
ed"
The News and Observer
concludes it's arraignment as
follows:
"To the board of alaermen,
the mayor, police justice aud
all the officials Of Raleigh:
Gentlemen. You can enforce
the prohibition law in Raleigh
You are paid to do it or see
that it is done; and. as you
love the city you should re-
move the disgrace that rests
upon Raleigh and the stigma
that rests upon its official
government by the proofs Of
fered by its aWlessness, in the
auditorium on Sunday after
noon.
"Shoot Luke, or give up
the gun.
''If the men elected and
appointed to Office in Raleigh
with all the power they have
got and with the purse of the
city at their command, cam
not enforce the law aud stop
the illicit sale of liquor, as it
is going on in this >;ity, then
in the name Of the reputation
of the capital city, they
should retire aud let some
body else hold the office and
draw the salaries who believe
that they can relieve the
city from the stigma Of be-
ing a city that is important
to uphold the majesty OF the
law!'
AS bad as the above pic
lures the conditions in
Raleigh and as shameless as
the impotency Of the officials
appears, conditions there are
a decided improvement over
similar affairs in Salisbury.
Here it appears rot 50 much
as a matter of imrotency, but
rather of deliberate intent.
We are told there are seveD~
teen clubs doing business
here and that there is no
difficulty in buying prohibits
ed beverages from any Of
them. Buildings are rented,
clerks are hired and the traf,
fc seems to be conducted by
individuals as much so today
as it was five years ago.
There are practically no ar
rests and no efforts made to
arrest any one or break up
such laWlnssness. If there
is a town or county officer,
excepting Judge B. B. Miller,
of the County Court, who
has during the past twelve
months made a single honest
effort to observe his oath of
Office in this respect, We have
not heard of it. A few small
fellows have been nabbed,
generally because the officers
we're just forced to do it,
and in a number of cases, it
is said, by the big dealers to
get the little fellows out of
the way.
If RaIoinh1n nnnd;4in,n ;n