The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-01-22
Asking for Help.

| @ASh6 AVA AASAP'
Judge Estes has addressed a letter
to the Legislature Of Tennessee AND
mailed forms of this letter to citi-
zens all over the State asking that
the police department of the city OF
i Memphis be taken over and that the
Governor be empowered to appoint
Police Commissioner of Memphis
to enforce the Prohibition laws in
that city:
The letter itself shows why the
Judge is making this request
Whether it would be better to en-
force the laws relative to removal of
delinquent officials already on the
statute books or to elect such a COM
missioner as Judge Estes requests we
have not considered, but the fact
that there are such laws in other
States leads us to believe that
| Judge Estes has the right idea
about it. A police commissioner is
provided for in Missouri to enforce
the Sunday laws in st. Louis. Mis-
souri, is a Democratic State and
that law SENS to be effective and
acceptable. Then why not such a
law in Tennessee?
If Mayor Crump, as it appears
from good sources, is aiding and
abetting in the violation of the Pro-
hibition laws in Memphis and con-
sequently in the State, and the
Governor and the Legislature are
elected specifically upon a platform
to enforce these laws, does it not
become the duty of the Legislature
and the Governor to take some &C
ton against the city administration
of Memphis and to provide means to
enforce these laws in spite of the
Mayor and the administration of
Memphis?
This matter should be handled by
the Legislature and without gloves.
There should be some agency in
Memphis by which the laws of the
State are respected, and we believe |
both the Governor and the Legisla-
ture are in sympathy, if not with
the plan proposed, with some other
just as good and feasible way of
compelling enforcement in a hostile
city.
The letter reads as follows:
Dear Sir: Do you want to see
he Prohibition law enforced in
Memphis? If so, take the police
power out of the hands of the May
'r and Police Commissioner of the -,
,ity of Memphis and put it in the
lands of a commissioner to be ap-
pointed by Governor T. c. Rye. This
AN be legally done. 1t should be
lone, because the city of Memphis, {
W not enforcing the Prohibition {
aw in it's borders, has refused to ex-
rcise a duty and power delegated to S
t by the Legislature. The State ,
AOuIh oICp III anu tame DdSh Inc O
olice power from the city of Mem
his and put it in the hands of a
olice commissioner who shall be
ppointed by the Governor of the q
tate.
In St. Louis the Police Commits I
oner is appointed by the Governor t
the State. On Sunday in st. Y
ouis saloons do not sell liquor. T
hey do not open their doors. Why? f
ecause the State of Missouri has y
law against Sunday saloon open 7
lg, and the State has provided p
gencies and instrumentalities to :,
airy out it's laws. Sunday closing
| St. Louis is as unpopular as Pro-
ibition is in Memphis, yet it is
fectualIy done because the State d
as control of the police department d
the city of St. Louis. b
About 80 per cent. of the people o
Memphis want an open town. L
therefore,, public sentiment is ex- il
emely hostile toward enforcement q,
the Prohibition law. If the peo-
e of Memphis had an opportunity >,
voting on the Prohibition law, :
ey would repeal it, and by this III
cans they would be able to have re
CHI law as they want; but the OF
,gislature declares what laws Ell
all govern the city of Memphis, W
ID, regardless of the opinions of re
e citizens of Memphis they are m
mpelled to submit to such laws as
e Legislature passes.
The platform of both the Demo
attic and Republican parties
rongly declare for rigid enforce
ent of the Prohibition law, and q
at no backward step shall be be
ken in the matter of Prohibition; 70