The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1913-03-28

the minds of the great masses OF Ten
nessee people, it would be the truth
that there can be no peace between the
whisky interests and the law, until the
law has completely triumphed.
The whisky traffic is essentially law
less. If you regulate it, it violates the
regulations. If you segregate 1t, 1t
sneaks across the forbidden line. 1t
sells to minors and drunkards in viola
ton of the law, and opens the back
door when the front is ordered closed
When we had the legalized saloon, II
was the center of all lawlessness. 1t
was the curse of the rich and the poor,
the high and the low 1t debased man
hood, dehled womanhood, and filed the
State with widows, orphans and out
casts. Twenty years ago, when l was
e. member Of the Legislature, the sa
loon lobby and certain allied interests
absolutely controlled the General AS
sembly. And yet, the saloon was then
regulated"
The saloon must go. The conscience
of the State and Nation has revolted
against it. The blood of it's victims
cries out from the ground and the
prayers of the millions of good women
have arisen to God for its destruction.
Can the open saloon be banished
from Tennessee? Is this practicable?
Can it be accomplished by reasonable
and constitutional methods?
1 answer these questions, without
hesitation in the affirmative.
Bills are now pending before the
General Assembly which, if enacted
into laws, will destroy the outlawed
saloon. They are not drastic, novel or
unreasonable. They are moderate, con-
servative and constitutional. The
friends Of the liquor interests say
that these bills are all intended to con-
fer additional power upon the Cover
nor. This statement is knowingly
false. The majority Of these bills con-
fer no power whatever upon the Gov
ernor, and those which do, confer only
such power as already belongs to the
Governors OF other States.
No law Is pending which empowers
the Governor to remove judges. at
torneys-general ana sherifs and state
ments to this effect are intended by the
advocates Of q weak cause as an i'm
position upon ignorance.
The only one of these bills which au-
thorizes the Governor to remove off,
Gals limits this power to the removal
OF city officials, and that only for the
notification Of State laws. This is the
law in Ohio and other States. 1t is
q law which Woodrow Wilson said
acted in New Jersey 1t is just and
reasonable law. No city official should
be permitted to override the sovereign
laws of Tennessee. This power to re-
move the city officials has never been
abused In the States where 1t exists.
Governor Harmon has not abused 1t In
Ohio, but he has used 1t.
The great country communities of
Tennessee have chartered the cities
end given them a municipal govern
ment, but they have never licensed
their unfaithful officials to trample UNI
der foot the sacred laws Of the Com
monwealth.
The conditions which now exist In
the four cities OF this State are a
stencil in the nostrils Of decency. We
people should not trifie with this stu
alton any longer, but should demand
that the saloons be closed In the cities
as they have been in the country and
in the smaller towns.
1t has been said by my political en-
emies that / do not really want these
laws passed, because the resulting ban
ishment Of the saloon would destroy
the issue upon which l was elected,
and would defeat the next candidate
of those who have heretofore been my
friends.
To this lot me reply in all sincerity,
that II the enforcement Of the law
against the open saloon results in re-
uniting the Democratic Party and de-
feating my own, I am reconciled to the
result
1t has also been threatened that II I
and my friends press the enactment
Of faw enforcement legislation, certain
political offices shall be taken away
from me by the Legislature. Let me
say. once for all, that l am utterly un-
reached and unmoved by such threats.
would be willing to be deprived Of
any amount of political patronage II
It were necessary to secure the enact
ment of law enforcement legislation.
The threat Is also made that the
present election law will be repealed,
II the efforts to enforce the four-mils
Law in the cities Is persisted in. TO
this I say. that every enemy of the
saloon and every friend of law en-
Sorcement is the advocate of an honest
MeGtion law. without honest >aiaotto""