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

HOOPER'S
MESSAGE
Tennessec's Executive Demands
Drastic Laws for Enforce.
ment Of Prohibition.

ana mousse OF representatives OF the
Fifty-eighth General Assembly of Ten,
nessee
1t is my purpose to discuss in this
message the -Four Mile Law, the condi-
tions arising from IT'S notification in GER
tain localities, and the legislation neces.
sary to correct these conditions.
This question is singled out for treat
ment in separate message because it
Is just now Of paramount Importance to
the people Of the State.
The election Of United States Sen
ator and Of State officials are matters
secondary in Importance to the question
OF whether law Or anarchy shall prevail
in Tennessee. To those, ii any there be,
who may have been misled BY false
statements in the public press, let me
say once for all, that my cooperation
with those mfriendly TO the Four Mile
Law upon disconnected and unrelated
questions, cannot be construed as com
promise Of my convictions as to the TEN,
perance laws. expect to cooperate
most cordially with the legislative rep
resentatives of the cities as to all ques-
tions upon which we agree, and these
are numerous. As to the maintenance
and enforcement Of the -Four Mile Law,
no political considerations could induce
me to swerye from the position have
heretofore occupied.
This | understand to be the attitude
of members of the General Assembly,
but they will have the opportunity to
speak for themselves.
II Is customary to difIerentiate be-
tween public questions BY designating
some as moral questions and others as
economic. A little thought will lead us
TO the conclusion that every political
issue in our State involves both moral
and economic considerations. From the
cold-blooded, material questions Of tax
alton and others similar arise issues Of
right and wrong, justice and injustice
On the contrary, the questions commonly
denominsted as moral ones, such as the
prohibition OF the liquor traffic, and the
suppression Of vice and crime, involve
considerations vital to the material well
fare OF the State.
No commonwealth or city which sub
ordinates civic deccncy and morality to
so-called business considerations can per-
manently prosper. 1t viii ultimately
be found that good business is good
morals and good morals is good business.
Just as surely as the man who places
the almighty dollar above the bodies and
souls Of men will finally lift up his eyes
where Dives did, so surely will the State
or nation pursuing similar course re-
ceive the condemnation already pro
nounced upon the nations that forget
God
The Liquor Question and Law Enforce
ment.
II is entirely superfluous to consume
time in discussing the right Of one man
to sell dangerous and destructive poisons
to his fellow for the satisfaction of
dcpraved appetite, whether those poisons
be cocaine, absinthe or alcohol. That no
such right exists has been declared by
the highest courts of our nation and
practically all OF its constituent States.
That the State has the right to prohibit
the sale of intoxicating liquors, to the
end that the physical and moral we'll
being Of the individual may be subseryed.
that crime may be diminished, that hui
man life may be held more sacred, that
property rights may be protected, that
The material welfare of the community
may be advanced, and that future gen
crations may be stronger, letter and
more efficient, is now almost universally
recognized. Such law has been enacted
BY the Legislature Of Tennessee and de-
clared constitutional by the Supreme
Court
This statute has been reasonably we'll
enforced throughout our State, with the
exception of the larger cities. It's en-
forrement in the country communities
has thoroughly demonstrated its prac-
tieability. Its lack Of enforcement in
the cities has furnished no sound argu-
ment against the wisdom, justice and
praeticability Of the law. 1t is only the
man OF perverted vision who puts in
his time railing against the law rather
than condemning those who are respon-
sible for its non-enforcement. The peo-
Die Of Tennessee fully know and un-
derstand that the authorities in several
of the large counties and cities OF the
State have wilfully and defantly null
fed this statute. These officials have
not contended that the non-enforcement
of the law has been due to their in
ability to enforce ii, but have unblush-
ingly proclaimed that they would not
enforce the law because a majority OF
the voters in their respective communi-
ties did not want it enforced. They
have ignored the fact that this law i 2
criminal statute Of statewide application,
enacted in the same manner as all other
criminal laws and equally as binding
upon every community Of the State.
IN view Of these conditions, there are
two questions presented to the people
Of Tennessee;
FIRST Do the people want the four
mile law retained and enforced in the