The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1921-07-07
Resolutions Adopted
By Law and Order
League On Tuesday

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BY the authority of the law en-
forcement mass meeting of about
eight hundred citizens held at New
port, June Gath, 1921, the UNDER
signed committee makes and pub
lished the following resolutions:
1t is fact known of all men thar
such an extent in Cooke county as to
the illicit liquor traffic has grown to
result in condition of lawlessness
and public decentralization that chal-
lenges the vigorous attention of all
good citizens.
This unlawful manufacture and
sale of intoxicating liquors has low
| cred the standards Of decency in
every community of this county.
1t has created public disorder and
destroyed the peace and happiness Of
entire neighborhoods.
1t has jeopardized the safety of
life and property.
1t has injured legitimate business
and rendered material progress by
filling the county with idleness and
shiftlessness.
1t has corrupted, besotted and de-
bauched the young men and boys of
our county.
1t has fostered and stimulated eve
ry other form of crime and vice.
1t has congested the criminal
dockets of our courts.
In short period of time it has re-
suited in the violent death of many
men, among them are William Witt,
Wise McGaha, Sam Giles, Umphrey
Carver, Clint Tatum, Garland Tay-
lor, Cecil Phillips, Sanders O'Neil,
Red Clevenger and Isaac Sexton.
How many men have been killed
and how much debauchery has been
wrought in other counties by liquor
from Cooke county no man can es-
innate.
1t has terrorzed and intimidated
private citizens into condition Of
moral cowdarice.
1t has influenced church members
and supposedly decent citizens to i'm
perfume the authorities for clemency
to guilty and convicted bootleggers
and moonshiners.
1t has browbeaten and dominated
public officials.
1t has corrupted the ballot box in
an effort to prevent the enforcement
of the law.
That similar condition Of lawless-
ness exists in othety coSnties of this
state Nand in 4otnsf states esrrss
see is no justification for as. Our
first duty is to clean up our own
county, and, perhaps, our exampl.
will be beneficial to others. There
fore be it
Resolved, That we call upon all
law-abiding men and women in every
walk to join in this movement for the
enforcement of the law in Cooke
county and for the stamping out
OF the illicit liquor traffic. The
public officials cannot accomplish this
work without the active cooperation
Of the citizenship. They need help
more than criticism. Let them pn-
derstand that the people are standing
by them and behind them.
(2) That we appeal to the preach.
ers, churches and all organizations
that profess loyalty to the principles
OF good government, to assist in
arousing wholesome public senti-
ment in favor Of law and order.
>3) That we call upon the men
who are engaged in the unlawful
manufacture or sale of liquor or who
ale in any way in collusion with it,
to stand from under before they feel
the weight of the law. Let them un-
derstand that grea majority of the
people of this county have reached
the limit of forbearance. that pres
ent conditions will no longer be toll
Grated, and that this movement for
law enforcement will have all the
moral and financial support neces-
sary to make it success. If there
be any of them so unthoughtful as to
resist the enforcement of the law by
violence or by private injury, let
them take fair warning that they
will be held to the strictest accounta-
bility. Not all of those men ARE es.
sentially bad men, but they have
wrought injury to themselves and de-
struction to their neightbors, and it
is to their own interest to quit.
(4) That copies of these resolutions
be furnished to the press and to all
public officials, city, county, state
and federal, who are in anywise
charged with the responsibility Of
enforcing the liquor laws
BEN w. HOOPER,
| NJ nEAJAyrC