The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1922-06-06
JUDGE ARTHUR PoWELL's
BRAVE PRONouNcEM

VINO arrogate unto themselves the di
| vine right Of controlling the senti
ment of this state and nation. Judgt
| Powell, not of the spineless variety
with his characteristic honesty and
| fearlessness, gave his own opinion al
| the recent meeting of the Georgia Ban
Association, at Tybee Island, relatiys
| to the present drastic prohibition law
and advocating its repeal in this
state. 4
In ultra-prohibition circles the re
marks of the eminent jurist were con
| Strued to mean that he was against
| prohibitory legislation, favoring the
return to the old days of saloons, etc.
Judge Powell said nothing of that
kind, but in one of the most brilliant
| speeches delivered at the meeting of
the association assailed the present
law as being unqualifiedly unsatis-
factory on account of its extreme SO ,
verify and the absolute impossibility
| OF its enforcement. "
Judge Powell we'll knew that this
was subject that had incubated
more extremists among lien and wo-
| men in Georgia than any other ever
placed on the statute books, but being
| fortified by his own observation, the
records of the courts, and his own
| opinion, he dared to express his views
fearlessly and regardlessly, and it
might be added right here that he is
amply able to take care of himself on
any proposition as lawyer and as a
| man.
How many thousands of men, yea,
and women, in Georgia would like to
shout hearty amen" to what Judge
Powell said at Tybee, but who just
| haven't the gum. He has no axe to
grind, but possesses an innate rever-
ence for truth and will tell the truth
though the Heavens fall He is too
big to pander to public sentiment just
for the purpose OF avoiding adverse
criticism. He doesn't give a tinkers
damn for that. Judge Powell, as a
! result of the pral lice of law and his
experience on the bench has made
close study of the prohibition laws,
both state and federal, and came to
the conclusion that they are aggres-
sive and deprecates the extereme to
which they have gone. And he has the
manhood to say so.
Judge Powell Is not alone in his
views of the deplorable situation that
now obtains in Georgia on account of
the drastic prohibition laws. Who
can deny that this same law has made
criminals out of the very best citi-
zens of the state? Mankind is easily
led, but stubborn when driven To be
denied God-given rights makes any
red-blooded man reDellious, defiant
There are thousands upon thousands
opposed to this law, but Who, for po-
litical and other reasons, dare not
lift their voice in protest.
1t is unfortunate that every citizen
in the state is not permitted to read,
at least, a synopsis of Judge Powell's
address. 1t is along broad lines to-
tally devoid Of cheap claptray. With
sound, scholarly reasoning, he meets
the issue without evason. He regards
the common sight on the public roads
in some sections of the state white
convicts, who are almost boys, work
ing on the changing because of vio-
lations of the Georgia prohibition law,
and thereby being ruined, not only
as individuals, but as citizens. The
truth is, says Judge Sibley, if man
has any decency left in him, you, (the
courts) are very apt to destroy it and
make him an enemy to society if you
put him on the changing.
Under the Georgia law, if a man
Of his family physician, urging that it
| is necessary in order to save the life
of some member of his family, alchol-
| ic liquor of any kind, he and the ply
stefan, and all concerned become law
| breakers, and are subject to convic-
| ton in the criminal courts, and if con-
victed the judge would have the pow
er, under the law. to fine him as much
as $1,000, put him in Jail six months
and on the chaingang twelve months,
\ infiicting all of these punishments in
his discretion.
The law was spent into being on a
period of reform, When people had
| wearied of the saloon, and wanted
| them abolished, as they do now. There
! is no clamor being made for the re-
turn to the old days, merely the in.
sistence that the laws shall be sane
! reasonable, enforcible laws, that works
needless hardships on the people. the
| common people, while the .highef
ups are immune from punishment.
As rule the prohibition officer is 30
less a criminal than the man who
makes his liquor, He, too, is human,