Evening star., 1896-10-24
AN APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE
Alexandria County Citizens Look to Wash
ington for Aid
Say They Are Confronted With .
Task That Overtaxes
Their Means,
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
The interest Of the Washington public, as
evidenced by the several editorials and conf
ments which have appeared in the press as
to the condition of affairs In Alexandria
county, together with the mock trials which
have SO recently disgraced the name of law.
would seem to justify setting forth Of the
position of the Citizens League of this
county respecting these matters.
There are four methods by which lawless-
ness Of the character, now prevalent in
Alexandria county may be suppressed: First.
through the conscientious discharge Of their
duties on the part of the duly elected off,
GERS; second. by laying before incompetent
and venaI officers specific infractions of law
and furnishing testimony in support there
of; third. upon failure of the former two,
lmpe achment of officers; fourth, the ex-
treme measures which have always been
the last resort Of an outraged community
and free people in the suppression of law
lessness after continued miscarriage of JUS
tice.
Only One Practicable Plan.
The first method has been tried and found
wanting. The result of the recent trials of
gamblers shows the futility and impotency
CT the second. To prevent the execution of
the fourth method, the Citizens League
was organized, and, therefore, for practical
purposes, so far as We are concerned, 1t
does not exist.
The only method remaining is the i'm
peachnent of officers. This is very
serious and difficult undertaking, involving g
large expense in the employment of counsel
of the highest ability. We would have to
fight not only all the gamblers of Alexan-
drla county from the runner" to the two
big Chiefs" to whose will all the petty
gamblers of the county must bend. and who
select and therefore control our officers, but
We also would have to fight the head of the
combination of policy shops in New York
who receives tribute from all the gamblers
of the country engaged in policy.
Unlimited Means of the Gamblers.
These people have unlimited means with
which to oppose any reform in our county
affairs: no official is too low and none too
high not to be subject to their will when
occasion demands; and they control the
best legal talent in Alexandria city. 1t is
to be deplored that in order to support the
mothers. daughters and wives of a few in
the historical old city of Alexandria, the
heart-strings of thousands of mothers,
daughters and wives in the city of Wash
ingtOn should be cut in twain and gray
heads bowed in shame, but as long as legal
talents are a purchasable commodity pub
lie condemnation will have little weight.
Gambling in its worst forms is openly
carried on nightly in the county. This is as
well known to the county officers as it is
to the general public. but. for reasons best
known to them, 1t will not be suppressed
Neither would success crown the efforts of
the league in bringing these gamblers to
trial on evidence now in our possession be-
fore these officers.
Help is Needed.
While the respectable people of our
county recognize that the lawlessness pre-
vailing in our midst is a disgrace ma
terially injuring the most beautiful resi-
dence section around the national capital,
and while we are in earnest and uncom-
promising in our efforts at suppression.
yet We feel that 1t is almost impossible for
a small county. with a population of about
1900, to stand, alone and unaided, the on
Slaught of the vicious element of a city
of 100000. nor do we think it just that We
should. We know that where one youth
in Alexandria county breaks his mothers
heart or disgraces the family name through
thousand hearts are broken and a thous-
and names disgraced in the city of Wash
ington. We know that our population is
composed largely of small farmers of the
most limited means, while the city of
Washington has many wealthy and char
liable citizens within it's borders.
For these reasons, among others, we
think We do not OverStep the bounds of
propriety in appealing to the Washington
public, not only for their moral support
but also their material support, in our
efforts to suppress that which affects prin-
cipally only our material prosperity, but
which is surely and rapidly undermining
the morals of many of Washington's S
youth.
Respectfully, --~-
FRANK LYON, Secretary,
Citizens League of Alexandria County