The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-29
MOBILES LAW ENFORCEMENT

It appears that the sheriff of Mobile county, now under process of impeach- ment by the state of Alabama on charges of neglect of his official duty, has seen fit to express opinion derogatory to the motives of the officials engaged in his prosecution. In the effort to impugn the efforts to clean up the liquor situation in Mobile every device is made use of to un- dermine public confidence in the sinceri- ty of the enforcement officials. Certain newspapers of the state seemingly have lent themselves to publication of insin- nations and innuendoes against agents of the law and the procedure resulting from their efforts.
 As Attorney General Harwell G. Davis declares: "It is current rumor that, when local daily papers of Mobile county refused to be controlled in the interest of the liquor ring in Mobile, weekly paper was established for the purpose of giving favorable publicity to MT. Cazalas and his associates. The editor of the paper is the reporter who is giving such favorable news space to MT. Cazalas' in- terviews and the propaganda of the liquor ring against all who endeavor to enforce the prohibition law"
 It appears to be the inference of the attorney general that the Montgomery Advertiser and the Birmingham Evening News, two newspapers under the same management which have on former oc- casions inclined towards an obvious be- lief that the liquor laws cannot be en- forced, are served by news articles from the same sources as publish the Mobile paper said to be friendly to law violators'
 That the law enforcement activities in Mobile are not spacious and unfound- ed is attested by the convictions already obtained and the sentencing of promi- nent officials and citizens to fine and imprisonment. There are others under indictment who will soon come to trial on charges equally grave. It is not with out significance in the minds of thought | ful people that the chief deputy sheriff appointed by MT. Calazas is one of those now under prison sentence, nor that Mir Cazalas had been some months sheriff when the wholesale violations of the liquor laws were detected and proved And, as MT. Davis remarks: "The peo' ple have not forgotten that the evidence showed that wholesale bootleggers ane professional gamblers signed a note fol the payment of the Cazalas campaign fund"
 In the face of such facts it i'll be- hooves MT. Cazalas to give out inter views derogatory to law enforcement 1T Alabama. His statement that the ac ton against him was inspired by boot leggers and liquor purveyors is direct reflection upon the integrity of the gov ernor of Alabama, who ordered the at torney general of Alabama to proceed tc impeachment of the sheriff of Mobile county. The effort to make it appear that MT. Davis is acting without author ization is ludicrous to all who know that the attorney general acts in such cases only under the sanction of the governor and that the governor could at any time call off the proceedings, if he saw fit.
 Public opinion in this state highly ap proves of Governor Brandon's action II the premises and demands that the pros ecution be thorough and vigorous. II spite of subtle publicity efforts to mak' it appear that it is somehow unjust t' bring yiolators of the liquor laws t' book. the people of Alabama heartil! endorse all official effort to make thu law respected. Particularly is it an un forgivable offense for an officer of th law to connive at violations and even t' benefit by such violations, as has in som' instances been proved to be the case Also, any journalistic policy of comfor to law violations and betrayal of officia duty brings it's own condemnation il Alabama.
 pTrCINESS ON THE FARM