The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1913-01-31
ASKS FOR MORE POWER FOR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE.
Discusses Four Mile Law-Says Ad
dltonaI Legislation Is Needed
Recommends Legislation Want
ed-Woud Remove County
and Municipal officials
Abatement of Public
Nuisances.

Gov Ben w. Hooper, at his formal
Inauguration Monday submitted
special message that sets out speciti-
cally just what laws he wants enact
ed to enable him to enforce the four
mile law. The message in full is as
follows:
To the Honorable Members of the Sc
nate and House of Representatives
of the Fifty-eighth General Assem-
bly, of Tennessee:
1t is my purpose to discuss in this
message the four-mile law, the condi-
tions arising from its notification In
certain localities, and the legislation
necessary to correct these conditions.
This question is singled out for
treatment in separate message be-
cause it is just now of paramount I'M
portance to the people of the state.
The election of a United States Sc
nator and of state officials are matters
secondary in importance to the ques-
tion of whether law or anarchy shall
prevail in Tennessee. To those, II
any there be, who may have been mis-
led by false statements in the public
press, let me say, once for all, that
my cooperation with those unfriendly
to the four-mile law upon disconnect-
ed and unrelated questions, cannot be
construed as a compromise of my con-
victions as to the temperance laws. |
expect to cooperate most cordially
with the legislative representatives of
the cities as to all questions upon
which we agree, and these are num-
erous. AS to the maintenance and en-
forcement of the four-mile law, no po-
litical considerations could induce me
to swerve sfrom the position l have
heretofore occupied.
This | understand to be the atti-
tude of members of the general as
sembly, but they will have the oppor-
tunity to speak for themselves.
Differentiates Questions.
1t is customary to differentiate be-
tween public questions by designat-
ing some as moral questions and
others as economic. A little thought
will lead us to the conclusion that
every political issue in our state in
wolves both moral and economic con-
siderations. From the cold-blooded,
material questions of taxation and
others similar arise issues of right
and wrong, justice and injustice. On
the contrary, the questions commonly
denominated as moral ones, such as
the prohibition of the liquor traffic
and the suppression of vice and crime,
involve considerations vital to the
materisd welfare of the state.
No commonwealth or city which
subordinates civic decency and mo-
rality to so-called business considera.
tions can permanently prosper. 1t
will ultimately be found that good bu-
siness is good morals and good morals
is good business. Just as surely as
the man who places the almighty dol
lar above the bodies and souls Of men
will fieally lift up his eyes where
Dives did, so surely will the state or
nation pursuing a similar course re-
ceive the condemnation already pro-
nounced upon the nations that forget
God.
The Liquor Question and Law En-
forcement
1t is entirely superfluous to con
sumo time in discussing the right OF
one man to sell dangerous and de
structive poisons to his fellowman for
the satisfaction of a depraved appe-
tite, 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 it's constituent
states. + That the state has the right
to prohibit the sale of intoxicating
liquors, to the end that the physical
and moral well-being of the individual
may be subserved that crime may
be diminished that human life may
be held more sacred, that property
rights may be protected, that the ma
terial welfare of the community may
be advanced and that future genera
tions may be stronger, better and
more efficient, is now almost univer
sally recognized. Such a law has
been enacted by the legislature OF
Tennessee and declared constitutional
by the supreme court.
This statute has been reasonably
well enforced throughout our state
with the exception of the larger cities
It's enforcement in the country com
munities has Thoroughly demonstrat
ed its practicability It's lack Of en-
forcement in the cities has furnished
no sound argument against the wis
DOM Justice and Dracticability OF the
law. 1t IS only the man of perverted
vision who puts in his time reiline
against the law rather than cOndamn
ing those who are responsible for its
non-enforcement. The people Of Ten
nessee fully know and understand
that the authorities in several Of III.
large counties and cities OF the stat,
have wilfully and defantly nulliiet
this statute Those officials have no
contended that the non.enforcemen-
OF The law hos been due to their in
ability to enforce it, but have un