The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1894-03-28
HOW 1T WAS CAUSED.
Gamblers and Saloon Men Re-
SpOnSlble for Local Option.

AlilsDoTU, MaTcn IL na1 &C.
casion to visit this city on business
and | have spent some time talking
with the business men of Hillsboro.
| have asked every man | met this
question "What brought about
local option in Hillsboro2' Aud
for the enlightenment of the saloon
men and liquor dealers of Waco,
| submit to you some OF the inter
views or rather answers to my ques.
ton
O III. Young, district clerk, said
"The gamblers were taking the
to vn. In many of tho saloons they
had established themselves, and
were running their business in open
violation aud defiance of the law,
AID the city officials made no effort
to suppress them. The saloon men
kept open on Sunday and sold
to minors and many antl-prohibition
lists became Disguised and voted for
local option to get rid of the gam
blers and other violators of law"
III W. Marshall, alderman from
the First ward, aaid: "By con-
tinually violating the Sunday law,
and because the Off GERS charged
with the administration of the law
failed to do their duty AMI en-
couraged these violators of the law.
The voters resented it at the p liz
All the saloon men were held re-
sponsible for the misdeeds Of the
gambling element. If the gamblers
had not been an issue and the saloon
men had not violated the laws ii
would have been impossible to carry
prohibition in this precinct. Tbs
council impeached the city mars hal
for shielding the gamblers. They
thought they owned the town, and
the kingbee gambler assaulted the
editor of our paper for denouncing
him and his gang"
Mr. Lewis, who is the largest
liquor dealer in Hillsboro, and who
has saloons at Ennis, Waxahachie,
Mexla and Bryan, is outspoken in
his denunclation Of the gamblers,
ana the saloon men who are en-
gaged III it. He also denounoes the
saloon men for keeping open on
Sunday. He said: "This town and
precinct would never have gone dry
had tie saloon men obeyed the law
and the gamblers been driven out of
town. If the city off had en-
forced the law there would have been
no eli ction. | know many strong
anti prohibitionists who voted for
loaal option, who said they voted
against whisky to get rid of the
gamblers. | have been running a
saloon here nine years. / have
bought stock Of groceries and am
gong to do business at the old
stand"
Harry Beck said; 81 was running
a saloon in this city until Saturday
night, when local option went into
effect. | have been in the business
here two years. | have not violated
the law, but had to bear the burdens
of those who did. The citizens be-
came disguised at the way the
gamblers were running the town,
and at the saloon men keeping open
on Sunday. If the officers of the
city had done their duty local option
would not have carried. Local option
will prevail in any town where the
gamblers are allowed to do business
over the saloons and the officers
do not enforce the Law. Many anti
prohibltionists voted against whisky
to protect themselves and their
families"
| j. T. Piper SAID: 81 was in the
saloon business. The success of
local option is due, undoubtedly, to
the retaliation on the part of the
citizens for the acts and misdeeds of
the gamblers, and the violations CT
the law by nearly all the saloon
men. These two causes and the
Honk a'tonk dives contributed to
the defeat of the ants. The
whisky business has enough to bear
without the addition of wine room.
for women, and nests for gamblers
The history of Hillsboro will be
repeated in all other towns. My
ADVICE to the saloon men is to steel
the business clear of the gambler
and TO let him take care Of him self