San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-06

laws relating to gaming, Sunday OBJ
servance, houses of ill-fame, variety
shows, ETC., must be made to conform
to the ideas and needs of city life, or
be stricken from the statute book"
The trouble about all legislation
touching these features OF city
growth, comes from the Difference
paid to religion, and the influence of
the church upon public sentiment.
You can hardly pick up metropoI-
itan newspaper without reading of
the effort about to be or being made
by some new city administration to
close the gambling houses, or the va
riety shows, or to enforce this or that
regulation about Sunday observance.
This has been going on for years,
and il all arises out of unwise aad inn
practicable legislation.
All Incorporated cities of ten thou
sand and over population should have
exclusive jurisdiction over all it's po-
lice regulations and control of the
suppression and regulation ofall mat
ters affecting the morals, comfort,
health and prosperity of such com
munities.
If IL g meant to make social evils or
institutions that are only possible and
profitable in metropolitan centers,
crimes, and TO provide for their sup
preston, then the penalty should be
placed on the felony list, and not
made, through the application of
fines and light imprisonment, virtual
license.
The present state laws makes it the
charge of the state officers 10 suppress
'disorderly houses" gambling, Sun
day breakers, etc. These laws are
vicious, inadequate and hurtful, and
as consequence are only partially
enforced. The only inducement of
the state officials TO enforce them is
for the revenue derived from fees, and
this enforcement in each city is a
matter of compromise, and amounts
to license all over the state.
No one can blame the officials for
doing what the state evidently in
tended them to do,-that is, to en-
force the laws sufficiently to operate
| as license, thus insuring the officials
compensation tor their labor, and en-
forcing decent observance of the
peace.
The law gratifies the moral ideas Of
the community, its reasonable en-
forcement satisfies the officials.
Our grand juries have an unenvi-
able task before them when they
come to dealing with these matters.
Pressed on the one side by official
duty, urged on by the judges charge;
aud on the other by an overwhelming
| liberal sen timent; it is difficult to per-
form their duty; to take cognizance OF
| the entire disregard of certain laws,
would be TO fly in the face of the best
people of the city, yet to pile all she
indictments upon a single class OF Of
Tenders of no greater degree of turpi-
tude, is az injustice.
If indictments must be found, the
officers must be fed; the moral senti-
ment must be catered to; then let the
business be spread out evenly over
| the entire list of offenders.
San Antonio is the only city in the
state where variety shows, decently
conducted, are pulled under the head
of "disorderly houses"
When popular places OF amuseme t
seem to be necessary and where con-
Quoted under perfect police supervis-
ion, serve to preserve the peace, and
keep the lower element amused.
But the strict enforcement of the
law applicabled to "disorderly
houses" would completely suppress
these variety shows.
| The strict enforcement OF the dis
orderly house" law, would put an end
| to houses of i'll fame, but would it end
the "social evil?" Such q statute is
disgrace to the civilization and en-
| lightenment Of the day, and refiec-
ton upon the spirit and intention of
our republican form of government.
What is needed is regulation and
| proper control in all these matters.
MarylandsFires.