Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1913-01-31

four-mile lay shall 10 retained ia It's
application to the whole State, and that
it must be enforced. Certain factors
have entered into each Of these elections,
which have made the result more re-
markedly potent and decislve than mere
figures would indicate.
In the gubernatorial campaign Of 1910,
the candidate who was backed by the
opposition to this statute, was unex-
celled in personal magnetism and pop,l-
larity by any man Tennessee has pro.
dueed in half century. He ran as the
candidate Of the organization which
claimed to represent the majority party
IN this State, Notwithstanding these
advantages, he went down to defeat un-
der the load of popular condemnation Of
the liquor traffic and its notification OF
the law.
In the gubernatorial campaign Of 1912,
the Issue was still more clearly defined.
The platform Of the convention claiming
to represent the majority party con
tanned a positive procurement in favor
Of repeating the four mile law in so far
as it applied to the cities. Upon this
platform there ran 4 man distinguished
by the fact that he had served twenty
years in the national Congress and four
years as Governor of Tennessee.
The opposing platforms embodied dec
larations in opposition to the repeal Of
any part OF the four-mile law and de-
claring in favor OF additional legislation
for the enforcement Of this law in the
cities. The election of the candidate
on these platforms appeared to many
as political impossiblity on account
Of handicaps imposed by conditions in
national politics.
Notwithstanding all these conditions,
the people again rendered decisive YER
dict in favor of the maintenance of the
four-mile law in its application to the en-
tire State, in condemnation of conditions
Of lawlcssness in the cities, and in favor
of the enactment Of additional legisla-
tion to enable the State to assert her
sovereignty and vindicate the majesty
OF her laws.
The people of the State having thus
made plain and unequiyocal the express
sion OF their win in this matter, it is
the imperative duty Of the Executive and
the Legislature to carry the popular will
into effect.
| have recently been gratifled to OBJ
serve that there is a rising tide of SEN
timent, even among those originally on
posed to the law, in favor of prompt and
emphatic legislative action that will
strengthen the law where it is being re-
spected and enforced and that will COM
pei its observance in the few communi-
ties where it is. being ignored and tram
pied under foot.
This is the lofty sentiment which
should actuate the people Of Tennessee,
regardless Of party. Every citizen Of
intelligence and patriotism cannot but
realize that the nullifcation Of the four
mile law prevalent in the cities has pro-
duced conditions that are hurtful to us
at home and discreditable to us abroad.
In recognition of the fact that the
people OF the State have repeatedly de-
creed at the ballot box their approval
of the four-mie law, and their desire
for its retention and impartial enforc-
ment, we are now brought face to face
with the second question above pro-
pounded How shall the will Of the peo-
Pile be carried into effect?
Additional Legislation.
Ny answer to this question is that
additional legislation will be necessary
to effectuate the enforcement Of the
four-miIe law in the cities under present
conditions.
This statement may be met with the
question, why should the enforcement of
the anti-saloon laws demand any meth
DDS or facilities not accorded to the en-
ment Of any other criminal law?
This question is easily answered.
There is, at present, no general organ
lied opposition to any other criminal
law in this State. For example, the of
Tense of larceny, robbery, burglary and
murder are always committed by one
or few individuals, who assume the
risk and take the consequences. The
violations are isolated and disconnected
If there were powerful organized body
of men in Tennessee engaged in over
running the country and committing
wholesale larceny, robbery, burglary and
murder, then it would be absolutely nee
essary for the State to possess some
method of protecting her citizens and
vindicating the law other than the ordi-
nary process of the criminal courts. In
fact, the State already has law for
such an emergency, namely, the use Of
the State militia by the authority and
under the command Of the chief execu-
tive.
The vioations Of the liquor laws in
the cities Of our State are not the isO-
lated violations of individual offenders.
They are the result Of a powerful, or
ganized conspiracy Of great number
of men in and out OF the State. The
lawless saloons in the cities have OBJ
tanned control Of the electorate in said
cities by combination Of three factors.
In the first place, much Of the vieions