Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-13

Editor The Georgian:
tn HERE is a volume of moral
caution in the admonition:
Let well enough alone"
This IS particularly true when
applied to the outrageous pros
titution Of Justice in the policy
OF Atlantas detective department.
which resulted in a so-called
raid on seven locker clubs Of At
lanta in the downtown district,
when the same raiders. knowing
Of seven locker clubs in tho up
town district, deliberately gave
them immunity.
1t is true when II Is possible to
apply 1t to threatened invasion
Of personal rights, and confisca-
ton of property interests, as these
belong to one class of cttizehs,
and the protection Of these same
rights and interests as they be-
long to another class Of citizens,
should our courts Of so-oalled
Justice allow this wanton class
ism in arrests to go unrebuked.
1t is likewise true when applied
to the overzealous efforts of q lot
OF professional uplifters, who
would, by arbitrary insistence,
endanger the peace, the liberty
and the business veal OF the city
and State, merely to carry their
mania for reforming things.
A Fable.
These methods strikingly Eug-
gest the fable of the dog CROSS
ing a foot log, with bone in
mouth Upon seeing It's shadow
in the water, the greedy animal
let fall the substance In an ef-
fort to mouth the reflected bone.
The radicals who, through Leg
islative hold-up, secured the pas
sage of an act prohibiting the
sale OF liquor in Georgia, upon
finding that public sentiment,
which had never been tested,
would not stand for the undesired
legislation, passed a tax act,
which liberalized the measure so
that the aw-abiding citizen
might enjoy himself under rea-
sonable restraint.
They would now mako nuga-
tory the tax act, close every
locker club and beer saloon in the
State, and deny the public treas
ury the money that comes through
these sources for the support OF
our eleemosynary institutions.
They see the shadow OF reform
in the deceptive waters of prohi-
bition. and would let go the sub
stance Of control in their eager
desire to revel in empty conquest.
Never content with victories
won; never considering that any
contract, whether expressed or
implied. IS binding, except on the
opposition; always demanding
that some new screw, it matters
not, be borne down into the lid
of restraint; these overworked
zealots would throw their cause
into the maelstrom of vicious
conditions, in an utterly foolish
effort to control the human appe-
tie and legislate the threats of
men.
That whisky Is a curse no sane
man will deny Morphine and
cocaine are curses. They are
likewise great blessings. wheth-
er curse or blessing. intoxicating
fluids have been used for a time
whereof the memory of man run
meth not to the contrary. 1t has
been demonstrated that legisla-
ton does not and can not prevent
the use of whisky. Christ did not
prevent It
System Of Control.
This being the condition, why
attempt to meet It by stock the
orizing? The common sense de-
mand, growing out OF ages OF
extreme intermeddling, suggests
sane and positive regulation; and
the system of control now exist
ing, with the citizen and State
parties to the contract, is by far
the best regulation Of the traffic
that any State ever did work out
under prohibitive legislation.
The locker club and the beer
saloon may be driven out of Geor-
gia-but whisky and beer will re-
main, Why? Because people de-
mand 1t.
Bad women were stoned from
Jerusalem during the Mosaic Pc
Rod. Horrible that so meek q
man as Moses should have al
lowed this unjust sex discrimina-
ton. But he did. Yet this did
not make bad women good. II
did not even keep other bad wom-
en- from growing up in the de-
serted places.
And bad women have contin-
ued to grow up in all places,