The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1913-01-31
SPECIAL MESSAGE ON
LAW ENFORCEMENT

laws anu eQudlly DIS UluulHS upOH
every community in the state.
Two Questions Are Presented.
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
cities as well as in the country?
Second If they do so desire, how
shall this desire be carried into eff
feet?
AS to the first, the answer can con-
tain no element of doubt. In two con-
t1cutive state elections, where this
question was squarely presented to
the people as the leading issue, the
voters have declared by a decisive
majority that the four-mile law shall
be retained in its application to the
whole state, and that it must be en-
forced. Certain factors have entered
into each of these elections, which
have made the result more remarka
bly, potent and decisive than mere fig
ures would indicate.
In the gubernatorial campaign OF
1910, the candidate who was backed
by the opposition to this statute, was
unexcelled in personal magnetism and
popularity by any man Tennessee has
produced in half century. He rar
as the candidate of the organization
which claimed to represent the ma
jority party in this state Notwith
standing these advantages, he went
down to defeat under the load of DO
pular condemnation of the liquor traf
fic and its notification Of the law.
In the gubernatorial campaign o.
1912 the issue was still more clearly
defined, The platform of the conven
tion claiming to represent the ma
jority party contained a positive pro
nOuncmeent in favor of repeating thu
four-mile law in so far as it applied
to the cities. Upon this platform
there ran a man distinguished by thu
fact that he had served twenty year.
in the national congress and fouI
years as governor of Tennessee.
The opposing platforms embodied
declarations in opposition to the re
peal of any part of the four-mile Law
and declaring in favor of additiona
Legislation for the enforcement o
this law in the cities. The election
of the candidate on these platforms
appeared to many as a political i'm
possibility ON account of handicap
imposed by conditions in national po
litics.
Then the People Spoke.
Notwithstanding all these condi
tons, the people again rendered de
cisive verdict in favor of the mainte
nance of the four-mile law in its ap
Iplication to the entire state, in con
demnation of conditions of lawless
ness in the cities, and in favor of tn
enactment Of additional legislation t,
enable the state to assert her soveI
eignty and vindicate the majority O
her laws.
The people of the state having thu
made plain and equivocal the expires
sion of their will in this matter, it i
the imperative duty Of the executiv
and the legislature to carry the popu
lar will into effect.
l have recently been gratified t
observe that there is rising tide O
sentiment, even among those origi
nally opposed to the law, in favor o
prompt and emphatic legislative az
tion that will strengthen the lay
where it is being respected and er
forced, and that will compel its OF
servance in the few communitie
where it is being ignored and tran
? pied under foot.
This is the lofty sentiment whic
. should actuate the people of Tenne.
see regardless of party. Every cit
Zen of intelligence and patriotism
cannot but realize that the nullifca
. ti0n of the four-mile law prevalen
in the cities has produced condition
that are hurtful to us at home and dis
creditable to us abroad.
, In recognition of the fact that tn
people of the state have repeated
! decreed at the ballot box their apprC
val of the four-mile law, and their dc
sire for its retention and impartia
r enforcement, we are now brought fac
to face with the second question abov
propounded How shall the will q
the people be carried into effect?
Additional Legislation.
My answer to this question is tina
additional legislation will be necess;
, ry to effectuate the enforcement @
the four-mile law in the cities unde
present conditions.
This statement may be met with tn
question, why should Che enforcement
of the auti-saloon laws demand an
methods or facilities not accorded
the enforcement of any other crimin5
law?
, This question is easily answered
There is at present, no general o.
, ganized opposition to any other Grim
nal law in this state. For example
the offense of larceny, robbery, burl
lar or murder are always committe
by one or a few individuals, who a.
sumo the risk and take the const
, Guences. The violations are isolate
and disconnected IF there were
powerful organized body of men
Tennessee engaged in over-runnin
] the country and committing whol
! sale larceny, robbery, burglary an
murder, then 1t would be absolutel
p