The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1947-04-10
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
by Hozei BrGnnon

pected to uphold the laws of the
state and nation !. to make our
laws respected and obeyed if moi
feared i. he swears on the Bible
and his honor to do so.s
Monday morning of this week we
heard Judge S. F. Davis, Judge OF
the Fourth Judicial circuit court dis
trict, make some strange remarks on
the bench in the course of instruct
ing members of Holmes county
Grand Jury which has just been en-
paneled
Judge Davis told the Grand
Jurors.
l. The prohibition laws can't be
enforced.
He said the whole United States
Army and Navy couldn't enforce
them.
2. Criminal courts are a luxury
out OF which the taxpayer gets less
for his dollar than anything. He said
criminal courts are the most expen-
sive luxuries we can have. To us he
gave the impression it is a waste OF
the taxpayers money to hold GRIMM
al court
8. Judge Davis said unless the peo-
pie want the laws enforced you
can't enforce them"
4. He commented on the condit-
ions in the world at large saying II
made him ''sick at heart" to see the
conditions of the world when there
is so much good the churches could
do. 'But these conditions have al
ways been and will always be-" he
said.
5. Bootleggers don't have money.
Judge Davis said rarely did even
the largest bootleggers have money
to pay their lawyers, much less their
fines. !,
s. Judge Davis told the Grand
Jury: "You do as you please, but
don't look for a perfect man or Tor
perfect Acknowledgement for you're
not going to get it."
7. He extended an il.yitation TO
every person who has a grievance
to appear before the Grand jury
or forever hold their mouth"
These are strange words coming
from the mouth of man who has
sat for nearly thirty years on cir
cult court bench in Holmes county.
especially strange remarks to be
made at this particular time in Hol-
mes county which has for the past
three years grown steadily worse
from the standpoint of lawlessness
and crime.
Judge Davis cannot be ignorant OF
actual conditions in Holmes county.
They are reported to him every
week through this newspaper =. re-
ports which are honest and accurate
in every detail as far as humanity
possible to be. /. and any error or
misunderstanding will be cheerfully
and clearly corrected if called to our
attention as all our readers know.
Yet he says: "You aren't any wor-
Sc than anybody else"
Instead of standing shoulder to
shoulder with law abiding citizens
who are trying desperately to Sec
ure better enforcement his att
itude seems to be: Why worry
you're not any worse than anybody
else as far as can see.
Instead of putting the prestige of
his high office behind law enforce
ment and demanding that our Sher-
iff enforce the laws he sits supinely
on the bench and says: ''It can't be
done the whole United States
army and navy cannot enforce the
prohibition laws"
There's law against murders, too,
and it cannot be enforced one hun
bred percent, but did you ever hear
of anyone wanting to do away
with the law because it can't be en-
forced?
Even if what Judge Davis says
about the prohibition laws should be
true (and not saying it isl he is COM
pletely out of place in saying so from
the bench. when he has taken SOL
emn oath to uphold the laws. When
Judge Davis was sworn in did he
say the prohibition laws could not
be enforced2 That he could not take
an oath to uphold that law because
it could not be enforced?
Did Judge Davis swear to uphold
the laws of the state of Mississippi?
In saying the prohibition laws cannot
be enforced is he not guilty OF con-
tempt TO rour states law and actual
discouraging the enforcement OF the
law? Is he not placing himself
squarely beside our Sheriff who has
almost completely fallen down on
his Job of reinforcement?
Perhaps Judge Davis attitude to-
ward Acknowledgement has had more
to do with present conditions in Hol-
mes county than we realize.
Judge Davis did say to the Grand
Jury eff you indict them and if the