The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-03-14
IT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY TO
DECLARE MARTIAL LAW

Wednesdays Asheville Citizen contained
this editorial: . =
..eyos+ordav,s news told of the organization IN
11o,,dorsor,,iIa Of group of citizens to aid OIL
f6er and court officials there in law enforcement
The objective is highly commentaries pu' 'iI
membership, it is stated, is to be secret. That
seems to us, is bad.
."surelv there is no situation in Henderson eOun-
ty so serious to call for body OF men sL'iii"-
to the vigilantes. And since when in Amerca-'r
certainly in Western North CarOlina-ls 1t neces-
sarv for citizen who proposes to help in the en-
forcement of the law to hide his IDENTIFY
The Citizen editorial is evidently based
on lack of knowledge of local conditions,
and The Times-News will undertake to
gives its Asheville contemporary the need
ed information. Henderson county is not
proposing to do something unlawful, I'M
American, or that has any possibility OF
bringing merited criticism on the county or
State.
What is proposed here is an organiza-
ton of good citizens, the members OF
which will be sworn in as special officers
under the laws of North Carolina; but in
stead of much publicity being given to the
personnel of this body, the names of men,
bers will be known only to county and city
officials. The Times-News does not believe
there is anything bad" about that pro-
pOsal.
Reasons for this plan are plain to any
intelligent person.
As matter of fact, there is now active
ly operating in Hendersonville and the
county a similar committee appointed to
aid in law observance and enforcement;
and, unless this newspaper has been mis-
informed, a similar committee exists IN
Asheville and Buncombe county and have
been functioning for the past two or three
years. We refer to committees appointed
in this county by the sheriff and in Hen
Jacksonville by the mayor, the membership
being known only to the officials, and the
purpose of the committees being to aid in
reducing fire losses.
A few years ago, as all citizens will re-
member, large part of the property of
North Carolina seemed to be marked for
destruction by incendiarism. Many sec
tons of the State suffered from the work
of fire-bugs. Much property was destroyed
to collect insurance. Desperate efforts
were made by law officers and special de-
tectives to stop this orgy of incendiarism
and punish the guilty parties, but all eff.
forts failed. Fire losses were so heavy the
insurance companies were preparing t.
withdraw from business in North Carolina
Then, as The Times-News understands
public officials and representatives of the
insurance companies conferred and adopt
ed the plan of forming secret committees
of citizens in all cities and towns and coun
ties in the State. The business of the com
mittees is to aid in all possible lawful ways
in keeping down fire losses and in aiding
the officers to run down persons guilty o
incendiarism.
The plan has worked in Hendersonvill,
and Henderson county, according to tn
views of public officials and is due some o
the credit for noticeable reduction in fiji
losses in this territory.
Henderson county is proposing to appl
the plan to all forms of lawlessness, an
the officials and many citizens believe
will work successfully.
Henderson county is proposing to appl
the plan to all forms of lawlessness, an
the officials and many citizens believe
will work successfully.
No citizen connected with this moVeme