The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1913-03-14
Law Enforcement Meas
ures Now Pending In the
Tennesses Legislature
on Which Representa-
tion From All Parties
and Factions Are United
Read What President Woodrow Wilson
and Gov. Ben w. Hooper Say About
Needed Law Enforcement Legislation.
Gov. Ben W. Hooper's Appeal to the
People Of the State.

| ~~H@S W kAS etcbVs
] II could sink one thought deep into
the minds Of the great masses of Ten
nessee people. 1t would be the truth
| that there can be no peace between tbs
whisky interests and the law. until the
law has completely triumphed.
The whisky traffic Is essentially law
less. II you regulate It, It violates the
regulations. II you segregate 1t. II
sneaks across the forbidden line. II
sells to minors and drunkards in viola
ton Of the law. and opens the back
door when the front 10 ordered closed
When We had the 9egalized saloon, II
was the center of ~ lawlessness. II
was the curse Of the rich and the poor
the high and the low. 1t debased man.
hood. defled womanfrood, and filed the
State with widows. orphans and out.
casts. Twenty years ago. when I was
member Of the Legislature. the sa-
loon lobby ana certain allied interests
absolutely controlled the General As.
sembly. And yet, ttss saloon was then
Regulated"
The, saloon must go. The conscience
Of the State and Nation has revoltsd
against It, The blood Of Its victims
cries out from the ground and thu
prayers of the millions of good women
have arisen to GOD for its destruction
Gan the open saloon be banished
from Tennessee? Ii this practicable
Can 1t be accomplished by reasonable
and constitutional methodist
answsr these questions, without
hesitation, In the affirmative.
Bills are now pending before the
General A ssembly which. II enacted
into laws, will destroy the outlawed
saloon. They are not drastic. novel OF
unreasons BILE. They are moderate. con-
servativs and constitutional. The
friends OF the liquor interests say
that the 90 bills are all intended to con-
fer add itional power upon the Cover
nor. This statement IL knowingly
false. The majority Of these bills con-
fer ne power whatever upon the Gov
ernorj and those which do, confer only
such power as already belongs to the
Cove rnors Of other States.
NJ, law is pending which empowers
the Governor to remove judges, at
tori ieys- general and sheriffs, and state
me- nts to this effect are intended by the
al yocates Of weak cause as an I'M
~ sition upon ignorance.
n The only one of these bills which au-
ilehorizes the Governor, to remove off,
/ Gals limits this power to the removal
of city officials. and that only for the
/ nullifcation Of State laws. This is the
law In Ohio and other States. 1t Is
q law which Woodrow Wilson said
only ten days ago that he wanted en-
acted in New Jersey. 1t Is a 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
4 and given them q municipal govern
ment, but they have never licensed
their unfaithful officials to trample un-
1 der foot the sacred laws Of the Com
monwealth.
The conditions which now exist in
the four cities of this State are q
! stencil In the nostrils Of decency. We
people should not trifs with this situ-
1 alton any longer, but should demand
that the saloons be closed in the cities
~ they have been in the country and
in the smaller towns.
It has been said by my political enc
emies that do not really want these
laws passed. because the resulting ban
| ishment Of the saloon would destroy
| the issue upon which was elected,
| and would defeat the next candidate
| Of those who have heretofore been my
friends.
To this let 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. am reconciled to the
result. d
1t has also been threatened that II
and my friends press the enactment
OF law enforcement legislation. certain
political OFFICES shall be taken away
| from me by the Legislature. Let me
say, once for all, that am utterly un-
! reached and unmoved by such threats
l would be willing to be deprived OF
any amount Of political patronage II
| II were necessary to secure the enact
ment Of law enforcement legislation.
The threat II also made that the
present election law will be repealed,
* the efforts to enforce the four-mile
law in the cities Is persisted In. To
this say that every enemy Of the
saloon and every friend Of law en-
f0rcemsnt 10 the advocate Of an honest
tie saloons and Its allied vices in the
cities will control this State: 1t will
Sc an unfortunate day for Tennessee
when the saloon interests gain con-
troll Of the election machinery and the
government of the State as they have
the domination OF the cities. -
This question OF enacting additional
lerisiation for the enforcement OF the
four mile law e not party question
forcemert Of the law.
The present hope for law enforce.
i ment lies In the country people OF Ten
nessee and their representatives. In tbs
Legislature. regardless Of party. Tt
i them l appeal for the suppression OF
iawiessness and notification. We car
40 honor 70 the spirit and the memory
out the disgrace OF notification In Ten
neesee. This need not be a party. vic.
tory, It should be a victory or tht
Dsopls--a triumph Of law and ordss