The hummer. (Houston, Miss.) 1914-19??, 1916-03-24

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CITIZENSHIP IN GHIGNSAW COUNTY
DEAR MR. EDITOR:
want to ask your indulgence while attempt to dis
cuss for few minutes with you and your readers mat
of vital interest to the people Of this Town and County It
is very gratifying to know that the timely article which
appeared in your paper last week written by Rev W
Riley and which followed few hours aterby quite
generally signed petition committing a large majority of
the male population of this Town and vicinity to the idea
of uphOding the officers this Town and County in their
efforts to enforce the laws against public drunkenness,
vagrany booteggng blind-ugers ETC. have already be-
gun to bear splendid fruit This observation is evidenced
by the almost perfect order that prevailed on our streets
and everywhere last Saturday afternoon and night AS
compared with the order that has existed for sometime
previous thereto it seemed like Sunday evening This
IS indeed good to contemplate and far good But the
thing to be considered is the future Lets all of US off
GERS and people alike determine and resolve that there
shall be no cessation of efforts make this the most
law-abding community in the State Is it in our power
to make it such Certainly it is We can have whatever
we want demand in the way of law enforcement The
trouble has been along that people have been sleeping
They have not been awake their best interests mater
ial moral and spiritual Every one apparently has been
waiting for the other fellow to take the natve There has
been disposition the part of the people tolerate the
conditions that have heretofore obtained and each man
has been waiting for the other to sound the alarm and
give the vioatOrs notice that halt has been called in
their proceedings And now since people have spO-
KEN and have pledged themselves to cooperate to the
fullest extent with the officers in their efforts to rid this
community of law violations and law voatOr it is highly
important that make good in every particular our
promise Lets take backward step Every man
should be on the watch and any nfracon of the law is
observed report the proper authorities whose duty
will then be to see that the offender is speedily brought
Justice Officers like to know that they have the cooper
alton and moral support of their constituents whose ser
wants they No law however just and sound capa-
BILE of being enforced worth the space that it con
upon the books unless it steadily and consistent
ly upheld by wholesome public sentiment and no exc
cutve officer will discharge his full and complete
duty to the public unless he has the consciousness at all
times that he has the support and backing of the moral
and law abiding element of his constituency 1t will be
SEEN then that we to have conditions liking
in this Town and County, there duties that devove
upon both the officers and the citizens the proper peor
of which absolutely necessary to an adequate
enforcement of the laws relating the evils that have
infested Town and County for long 1t is the duty
of every good citizen to give his moral support the off
GERS and if the citizens should by chance otherwise
apprehend any engaged in unlawful act he should
promptly make known such fact to the proper officers 1t
will then be the aters duty arrest the offender and
carry him before the proper tribunal for trial and punish
ment VI course, 1t cannot be maintained that 1t is the
duty of the private citizen to constitute himself police
man for the purpose of apprehendng and running down
criminals generally those engaged in unlawful enter
prises Primarily that is the duty of the officers The
private citizen has right arrest known felOn with
without warrant and the officer has the authority to
depuhze him to assist him in of emergency where
the offender is guilty of misdeameanor only Again the
Mayor and Board of Aldermen have the power to appoint
special deputies at any time where the conditions and
circumstances demand require it, But is the duty
of every good man to be a CITIZEN and PATRIOT In
order to be such it not only necessary that he be law
loving and lawabidng himself but he should be willing
and ready at all times to make personal sacrifice if
need be- to make his erring neghbOr lawabidng as we'll
II is mnnrtmnateY true that force nfLen nacassaru