Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-04-11
CASK ETS-AND CASK FITS

| (W. NJ. Bickcrs, in the Richmond Ev-
| ening Journal.l
| In the Jealous exploitation of nj
legged grave "indignitics" and "incon-
vcnicnces" perpctratcd by the prohibi-
ton department, particular stress is
being laid upon an incident wherein
federal agents mistakenly opened Il
cuskct containing Il corps in their
quest for contraband liquor. The eau
sativc Of this alleged PROCLAMATION of
the dead was the base tactics en-
ploycd by the bootlcgging traiiickcrs,
whereby these knights of disorder
have themselves outraged the sanctity
of death in making use of collins AS
conveyors of Illicit liquor and ship
ping them as corpscs.
Indignant outcrics against this re-
cent alleged Outrage" of the officers
of the law-fedcral, not Virginia off
GERS, by the way-wh0 innoccntly OPP
cncd the wrong casket, would carry
more weight if the compiainants had
voiced commensurate protest against
| the real indignity To the living as we'll
rs the dead. The fact that the boot
! leg brigade stops short of no possible
means to violate the law makes it in
cumbent upon the officers 10 III most
vigilant. and if, in the exercise OF that
due and proper vigilance an innocent
mistake is made, what harm is done !?
Who is hurt?
Better the opening now and then
of II caskct in error than to permit
} the ncfarious practice of protann.r
the sanctity of death by clothing their
contraband bug-iuice in shroudly in
crcmcnts and bascly transporting the
stuff in violation of all the laws of
dcccncy and propricty, Is well as
those of statutory enactment Liquor
and caskctS have mad much of Il COM
mon affinity for Il long, long time,
and yet the ovcrzcalous professionals
against 'prohibition outrages' seem
to have little thought o. concern for
the possible victim of an unchecked
bootlegging traffic.
Sure, "protcct the dead" bat in the
| name of high heaven and of common
scnsc ns we'll, let us not permit the de
iiantS of law and order Ia put the pro-
hihiii-in law into ii caSlet! In due
process of law bodies are ofttcntimes
, cThumcd, and upon occasions mistakes
have been made and the wrong caskct
tMcarthcd but there was no cry OF
'indignity." The emphasis is put on
| the guest for vio!ators of the prohi-
bition law.
And, too, those awful "inconvcni-
| cnccs" to passengers on railway cars
| Isn't it simply awful for an innocent,
| unotfending mans or woman's bag
! gage to be inspected i'll due process of
low for the public good? Isn't it
! dreadful for the customshOusc olli-
| Gals to examine Il woman's trunks
when she returns from her overseas
tour?. Sort o. mconvenicnt for the
| peaceful, unotfending citizen whose
! journey is to be through Il dangerous
, section to be debarred from convcn-
! iently ensconcinG II gun in his hip
pocket for protection rather than have
| to ilaunt Il shooting iron i'm the open!
Yes, rather announcement at times,
perhaps, not to be privileged to get
n bit of poisonous drug for an alto
gethcr innocent purpose without go-
ing through lot of legal formality,
J but we all say amen! to these laws
for the public good! Oh, yes, laws
are inconvenient occasionally, but this
same Inconvenience is their strength
and usefulness and the thoughtful
good citizen checrful!y undergoes the
inconvenience for the common vel
fare.
1t was the late lamented chief Of
police, Louis Werner-God, rest his
good soul!-who told the writer this
incident. A prominent professional
man of this city walked from a rail
way station up to the chiefs Office
and inquired the name of the special
agent ut the station. Upon being told
the visitor said: 81 have come up here
to commend his action i'll examining
my suitcase. He performed his du-
ty in n courteous manner and, whhc
1n | I'll
mircd his fidelity to duty. That is the
way to enforce the law% Now, that
is the attitude of the thoughtful, good
citizen! He didn't feel any sense OF
indignity ut submitting to u search
Of his baggage, but he would have
felt indignant, or, ut least, regret
full, had the officer let him pass un-
molestcd.
Law enforcement is the paramount
issue. Not only must the prohibition
law be safeguardcd from the bootleg
gang, but from the insidicus efforts
of the unsympathetic to weaken it
The foundation stone of law itself
would he endangered by convenient
quiescent attitude regarding the ac-
tivitics Of the lawless SC zcalously
, centered ON the dry law.
1t goes without saying that the
most ardent good prohibiticnist would
not wish to defend any high-handed
: improper tactics OF the dry officers
and it is plain that much of the harsh
criticism Of these officials that is
coupled with expressions of colici-
tude for the laws "propcr enforce
ment" has its animus iii antipatay to
; the law itself. The prohibition officers
. have 4 most arduous and responsible
iDCE and ShnnII hn bnn
support of all good and loyal citizens
: Wide awake and thoughtful Virgin
> ians, to the manner born, will see to
IL that thnir lu,ms % not l,.,:-..l