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

| who arrogate unto themselves the di
vine right Of controlling the senti
ment of this state and nation. Judgs
| Powell, not of the spineless variety
| with his characteristic honesty and
fearlessness, gave his own opinion at
| the recent meeting of the Georgia Bar
Association, at Tybee Island, relative
| to the present drastic prohibition Law
and advocating it's repeal in this
| state. z
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 unqualifedly unsatis-
! factory on account of its extreme SO .
verify and the absolute impossibility
| OF its enforcement.
Judge Powell well knew that this
was a subject that had incubated
| more extremists among Llen 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
| ODiniOn ba dora6 to oynrocc hjc vioWc
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 a 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 tinker's
| damn for that. Judge Powell as a
! result of the prac ice of law and his
| 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 reDellous, 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 PowelPs
address. 1t is along broad lines, to-
tally devoid of cheap claptray. With
sound, scholarly reasoning, he meets
the issue without evaison. He regards
the common sight on the public roads
in some sections of the state white
ing on the changing because of VIC
latiOns of the Georgia prohibition law,
and thereby being ruined, not only
as individuals. but as citizens. The
truth is, says Judge Sibley, if a 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
has in his own home, under the advice
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
sician, and all concerned become law
: breakers, and are subject to convic
tion 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 changing twelve months
naicting all of these punishments il
his discretion.
The law was spent into being on 3
period of reform, when people hat
: 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
7 sistence that the laws shall be sane
} reasonable, enforcible laws, that works
needless hardships on the people, thu
common people, while the "highei
ups are immune from punishment
AS a rule the prohibition officer is NJ
: less a criminal than the man wht
makes his liquor, He, too, is human