Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-10-24

VII power ul the nuHlCiphA dhldoAl tAt9.
The nOn-enforcement of the law has
been rendered more disgustingly fla
grant in Nashville by its enforcement
10 spots. They have segregated it by
proclamation, and they enforce the law
on one side of the street and violate it
IN 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-
Eion as legal and governmental curios-
fly. Here it is
at has been brought to our attention
that the place you are running is a
HWisance and 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
ia New South Memphis, saying that it
demorali2ed the town and their business.
These worthy officials therefore pro-
claimed that the four-mle law must be
obeyed by these four little fellows over
in 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 a traVesty on justice! What a
burning shame to public officials |
would rather be knot on a 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
me by opposition newspapers and spell
binders is that Il 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 a 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
bis 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 l really said upon
this question.
Condemned Officials,
In my speeches in that canvass, | 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. 1 prom
Used that if elected | would contribute
whatever official and personal prestige l
might possess to the enforcement of the
Jaw, 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 contended for the |
enforcement of the law day in and day |
out. L 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
aCbeiSo WHEN CHey cOHFlcL VlO-
lator, he is punished instead of being
pardOned In twenty months | have
pardoned four yiolators of the four-mila
law. Patterson in his two terms par.
doned 207. McAlillin, in his two termsSk,
al time when the law covered ne
less territory, pardoned forty fsGIA
1t is safe to assert that tt
better enforced today outsi1ao
than it has ever been befo
! have recently joined W
General Gates in bringing sd
the charters of certain incorI
panies engaged in the WIG
four-mile law. Il
/ interviewed in a way
the promiscuous violatio
the State Fair, both in
This State Fair was a
under the control of thu
had the power to act.
| gave much time and
question of my right, tn
agencies of the state
directly intervene in thu
pei the observance OF Il
Some of my friends thod
the right to call out the 81
cope with the lawless cond
cities. | felt, after thorot
ton, that | had no such