Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-21
O'fERRALL'S VIEWS
Virginia's Executive Talks of Alex
andria County Affairs.
HIS OFFER OF HELP
Expresses Surprise That Foreign
Books Are Run.
t He EX Use Bill I

L Il II Il ~ " = Il d II II
| A Star reporter accompanied Gov. OFFER
| rail- to Mount Vernon today on hrs annual
visit. The governor expressed himself very
| fully in regard to the condition of affairs
| in Alexandria county, and the means at
| hand for the suppression of the gambling
| In talking of the general lawlessness the
governor said: Il am surprised at the
members Of the Washington board of trade
! supposing that the governor of state had
| the power to abate charters and fran
| chiscs granted by the legislature. 1t GER
| tainly shows very great ignorance on their
| part. 1 am ready and more than anxious
| at any time he said, Ito suppress the
| whole business. whenever proper and sufti-
| cient evidence is furnished ME.
| The people crit!cise me very freely, but
| they have not seen my hand. l am con-
| stantly having detectives on the ground,
| but car find no one who is willing to go on
| the stand and testify. Why. 1 receive
anonymous letters every day telling me or
| the vices and adding that the writer's were
| afraid to give their names for fear OF be-
ing killed having their homes burned
| out, and you know a man can't act on any
| such information as that.
What He Would Do.
What 1 would like is for the Washington
| board of trade now that they have gotten
into this matter. to furnish sufficient evil
dence before grand jury and 1 will extra
| dite every man caught by the WaShingto
| authoritiesy bring him to Virginia and see
| that he gets the fullest extent of The law
| and We win take care of those caught in
| this state.
| In speaking of his having signed the race
| track bill. the governor said: Il did that
| at the request of Senator Mushback who
| urged upon me the necessity of signing 1t,
| saying 1t would wipe Jackson City out of
| existence, and 1 was also of the opinion
that there would only be little racing in
| the fall under the county fair auspices. You
| know the story about fellows foresight
| and hindsight; well, that's my case. It's
| done now, and we will have to wait for the
| action of the next legislature"
| The Excise Bill.
| Speaking of criticisms made on account
| of the signing of the excise bill. taking the
| licenses out of the county courts hands,
| Gov. O Ferrall said: Il want it distinctly
understood that signed that bill at the re-
| quest of the senators and delegates from
| Alexandria county, and there was not the
| slightest opposition to it presented to me.
| 1t passed both branches of the lesisla-
| ture by unanimous vote. What was l
| to do? l could not play the one man rule.
you know. l agree with Judge Chichester
| fully in believing that the county should
not have saloons. but when the people of
| the county come to me with their repre-
| sentatives, l must accede to their requests,
| SO long as they are not unconstitutional"
| Use of Troops.
| "Win you send the militia out there to
| clean them QUIZ
| Il would if it were necessary, but they
| would clean them out one day, and they
| would come back the next, and. besides,
| there is no large mob CT men making
| depredations on the state, and 1 could not
| w ed
| the NJ
| The governor deprecates the fact of the
| general lawlessness existing throughout
| the county, and regrets very much the
| publicity that has been given TIE matter.
| Why" he said, there is just much
| If not more gambling going on in Wash
ington city as in Alexandra county, and
they send all these toughs over into the
| county, anyhow. Let the authorities of
| Washington catch them their side of
the river as the Alexandria county officers
| are So thoroughly inefficient, and, as
| said, l will eXtradite every man and prose-
| cute them on the evidence furnished by
| them.
| The Governor Surprised.
| The governor is not opposed to the rae
| ing of horses but, on the contrary, ex-
| pressed himself being rather fond of it.
| He seemed a great deal surprised to know
that the honesty of the racing at the track
in the county had been questioned, and he
was also surprised to learn that a foreign
| book was operated at both tracks. why"
ne said. that is very clearly against the
law. l thought they only bet on the races
actually being run at the track That is
clearly against the Mushbach law as 1
| signed it.
Il was assured that there would be roth
| ing of that kind when l signed that bill at
the request OF Senator Mushbach. You
| know he added, Il am rot the county
constable. nor am l a detective, though
| the people of Washington seem to think
| that should prowl around the race tracks
ard other gambling dens and hunt this
| evidence myself. But that, you know, is
| rid!culousfy absurd.
You can say" he said. in conclusion,
that am bitterly opposed to this con-
| tinued laWlessness and l shall leave no
stone unturned in order that a stop may
| be put to it. 1 have a competent attorney
| in Alexandria looking after the matter, and
as fast as arrests are made the criminals
| will be prosecuted to the full extent OF the
| law. l don't intend for the county of Alex
| andria and this glorious old state of ours
| to have the finger of public scorn pointed
at us any longer"
| Pocnhontus Strike.
| The governor, in speaking of the strike
| situation in Pocahontas, said: II intend to
| keep troops at Pocahontas until it is very
clearly demonstrated that any man in the
| state of Virginia who wants to work can
do So and he viii be protected. I concede
| to every one the right to work or not, as
| they please, but when man wants to work
I will protect him, if it takes the whole of
| the state militia
will the Alexandria Light Infantry be
| sent to Pocahontas?"
| Il certainly think so, for at present it
| looks if the strike will last for some
| time, and the men now on duty must be
| relieved. The Alexandra Light Infantry
| are so far away from the scene that
will hardly call on them until the last. 1
think, however they will have to GO, soGn-
er or later. They are a fine body OF men,
and l consider them the crack company of
the state. They always make excel
lent showing when called on for active