The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-08-17

clean up Henderson county for Law and
order.
Solicitor Sheppard has to meet this con-
djtjon in his efforts TO enforce the iaWS-
and the courts must meet ft-and all law
enforcement officers face and feel the pres
sure. which il brought 70 bear b. people
who claim, themselves, to be good citizens,
but who dog the courts and the enforce
ment officers for special favors or for
clemency, for criminals.
There are other difficulties faced BY the
Solicitor in his efforts to enforce the laws
Of North Carolina in Henderson county.
The difficulties named make his task 81
gantic one. With the others added, the
task seems impossible; but the doughty
Solicitor is not discouraged.
The Times-News doffs its hat to that
character Of public official; and We here
By make our bow and our public acknowL-
edgement of admiration for Solicitor Shep-
pard's course.
The good citizens Of Henderson count
and some who, if this newspaper init
mated they are not good citizens, wou!H
become highly indignant and sue The
Times-News for slander,-make the task
Of law enforcement hard. They do It IN
the one case BY Indifference, by lack Oh
interest in the welfare Of their county, b.
lodging their duty as citizens, by lack OF
outspoken condemnation Of Iawlessness;
and in the other case by maudlin sentiment
for criminals, BY misguided steps prompt
ed by politics, by personal interest, and the
rotten notion that certain forms Of law
breaking attract people TO tourist section
and make business good.
These people probably never stop to
think about the encouragement given the
criminal element By their actions. But for
this. coupled with the other difficulties IN
the administration of justice which have
been named, every criminal in Henderson
county could be convicted in the courts
and a year would not be required 10 wipe
out the spirit Of lawlessness in the county.
These people probably, also, never stop
20 consider that their influence thrown on
the side of law breaking in what they n'a!'
regard az petty cases, or in cases whera
thev do not want the laws enforced be-
cause they are opposed to the laws-such
as the prohibition laws and the laws
against gambling affords much encour-
agement for the continuance Of iawless-
ness: and that misdemeanors and felonies
Of a mild type always lead to the pefpe-
tration Of graver crimes.
There was a time when there were no
gangsters in Chicago, no kidnapers, no
racketeers no murderers of the modern
type; but petty lawlessness in Chicago, the
crimes which were common in saloon days,
az we'll as those common under prohibition,
and the more serious crimes which were
never punished because Of the difficulties
previously named as to law enforcement
in this article, and because Of the alliance
of crime with the politically controlled, So
called administration Of justice in that city
made Chicago what it is today-a city IN
which there is little protection for life and
property, in which none Of the laws are
rigidly enforced, city that is at the mercy
Of racketeers, and all sorts Of gangsters
and for which all decent, law-abiding citi
zens of the United States have whitening
contempt.
Any city or county which permits to cor
tinue the law breaking that is going on in
Hendersonville and Henderson county,
without adequate and rigid punishment Of
the criminals, is headed ultimately for
trouble of much more serious nature; is
headed for time when the fear Of law
lessness will shut the mouths and palsy the
action of majority of citizens and make
law enforcement as impossible as it is in
Chicago today.
TtoI;or bopovpooop counlas in Rome arc