The Republican., 1924-12-04


sanitary and the prisoners receiving
that humane treatment to which
those unfortunates are entitled. No
greater duty rests upon the State
than to maintain under sanitary and
healthful surroundings persons who
are restrained of their liberty and
kept in confinement by the processes
of the law.
Although this is, genel ally speak
ing, law-abiding and law-respect-
ing community, yet among a certain
class there seems to be a perceptibly
increasing feeling that it is not a
serious offense to disregard certain
statutes. 1t is the duty of this Court
and of all the law officers of the State
as well as that of all good citizens, to
cooperate in condemning the prop
agation of such sinister sentiments,
for the maintenance of law is the
foundation of all government and of
we'll ordered liberty. To connive at or
consent to the violation of any one
law is to disseminate a feeling that
other statutes may be ignored. and
respect for the laws generally NAV
thereby decline and mob violence in
evitably follow. So the maintaining
of order depends upon the proper dis
charge of their duties by the consti-
tuted authorities, and you are there
fore urged diligently to inquire into
all violations of the laws of the State
and to assist in maintaining the su-
premacy of the law and the peace,
government and dignity of the State.
The notion seems to prevail that
the statute passed to prevent the sale
and handling of intoxicating liquors,
since it is not favored by a substan-
tlal minority, ought not to be enforc-
ed. The great majority of the people
are responsible for this legislation,
and it therefore becomes the duty of
every citizen to yield implicit obedi-
ence to the letter and spirit of this
law. The Constitution of the United
States is the supreme law of the land.
Every naturalized citizen takes an
oath to support the Constitution, and
all executive officers of the State take
an oath to support the Constitution
of the United States, any law of the
State to the contrary notwithstand-
ing. Since the recent Constitutional
Amendment relating to the sale of in
toXicating liquors, therefore, a great
er duty rests upon the constituted au-
thorities to enforce our State law re-
lating to his subject, according to
the spirit of the Constitutional
Amendment. The propaganda, that
the law cannot be enforced, engen-
dered by the Incorporate and lawless
WI
self-indulgent, is the last stand Of
the opposition to such salutary meas
ures, intended to give to the youth of
America the right to well-rounded
life, free from the bondage of appe-
tite which depraved and blasted the
lives of so many men Of former gen.
erations. A few politicians are left
who try to capitalize appetites and
weaknesses in places which are alb
normally wet, in order to win an oc-
casional political victory, but the
great mass of Americans know that
intemperance is rapidly subsiding
and that the men and women who
now indulge on the sly are but a frac-
ton of the great number who former
ly drank to excess publicly and pri-
vately under the old regime.
1t is for you, gentlemen of the
Grand Jury, to enforce the local
liquor law of your county which has
been sustained by the courts of this
State as well as by the Supreme
Court Of the United States as still a
subsisting law, and all who traffic in
Intoxicating liquors are subject to in
dictment by you and conviction by
the petit jury when proper evidence
is produced.
Statistics show that over eighteen
thousand people were killed and over
600,0 900 were injured in motor car ac-
cidents last year. This is appalling
The automobile is easily controlled,
and is entirely safe for the purposes
for which it is intended when oper-
ated by a careful driver, and it is
probably true that at least seventy
five per cent of these accidents are
avoidable. Excessive speed, reck-
lessness and drunkenness on the part
of the driver explain most of these
tragedies. Any person who may
cause the death of another because of
sheer recklessness in the use of an
automobile is guilty of the crime of
manslaughter, and if he causes seri-
Gus injury he is guilty of criminal as
sault. 1t is your duty to do your part
to help make the highways of Garrett
county safe for the careful men and
women who have a right to travel
them without danger of collision with
motor cars driven by drunken or
reckless motorists in disregard of the
laws as to speed or the rights of pas
sersby.
The attention of the Court has been
called to cases of larceny and burg
larry by citizens of a neighboring
State who come into Garrett county
and make hasty exit from Mary
land with automobiles and other
property belonging to residents of
Garrett county. We ask that you in
vestigate these cases thoroughly, and
if you can discover the guilty parties
indict them and in your report make
any recommendation you may think
proper in order to put an end to these
raids by nonresident criminals. If
you do your duty in this regard, l am
satisfied that the petit jury, the
States Attorney and the Court will
do theirs to punish the guilty parties
upon proper and sufficient evidence
being produced. The automobile has
bl ought blessings and hanninesS IN