The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-22
EDITOR BAILEY S PosITIo N.
No Good Thing can be Dependent on
Gamblers and Fakirs.

10 the Eult0r. | regret the necessity
Of writing this letter. but certain re-
marks reported to have been made in
the Agricultural Society and elsewhere
make it necessary.
! shall be very much surprised to
find myself blamed by any self-respect-
ing citizen for the action | took III
| indictlng certain persons who were de-
spelling the people on the Fair grounds.
| took that action on my own response
bility as citizen, and have no apology
TO offer for it,
But that there may be no miSunder-
standing, and in order that the atti-
tude of those who are disposed to criti-
else me may be perfectly seen, let me
explain in some detail the character
of wrongdoing that l took this action
against.
swore out these warrants. Three
men were arrested. One man ran
away from the police; the third came to
trial and was bound over to the Supe-
rior court. These facts are convincing.
The guilt of the men is clear.
| saw all three of these men GD
persOn or by agents. not simply gam
bling, but robbing the people. They
would play their games so that there
were large winnings when one of their
confederates had bought chance; but
when the confederate was not playing
the losses would be complete. This IS
stealing rather than gambling. Believ-
ing that it was a disgrace to our State,
shame upon our Fair, an imposition
upon our people; clearly persuaded that
it was a transgression of our laws, ana
that it was my duty to stop it, | had
the men arrested. When this had been
done, several other proprietors of gam
bling games came to see men and prom
Used not to run them. There was
general collapse Of the despicable bust
ness.
have this to say That no sensi-
Bile citizen will say that any good
thing is dependent upon these gam
berS. nor will any citizen who honOrs
the law of the State blame me for up
holding it.
If in officer of the society is quoted
correctly, he holds that there is such
bond of sympathy between the gam
blers and the freak shows that if we
forbid the former we must lose the
latter. | had several conferences with
the gamblers and they told me they
did not work with any combination or
syndicate of shows. Whether they
are to be believed or not, the fact that
they were here and the shows were
not refutes this officers statement. But
if the Fair is dependent either upon
gamblers or side-Shows, the sooner its
dissolution shall be accomplished the
better.
For one. l am glad the throngs who
attended the Fair were spared the in
decent exposure of pitiful, shameless
women. / do not believe that any
gentleman or lady enjoyed the Fair
less on account of their absence.
The State Fair bears the name OF
our Commonwealth and receives the
patronage of our State Legislature, of
our Board of Agriculture and of the
PEOPLE at large. 1t is a public insti-
tuition. If any bond-holders are so
hungry for interest that they desire
to prostitute it to transgression Of four
laws-robbery, gambling and immortality
let them say and give the State notice,
in order that the General Assembly,
the Board Of Agriculture and moral peo-
pie may separate from it. Let the bond
holders choose whom they will serve |
know that the large majority of the
bOnd-hOlders are unwilling to be parties
to the prostitution of the Fair
No one objects to innocent amuse-
ments and honorable shows. No one
seriously believes that we must toler-
ate evil ones in order to get these.
The world is crowded with good and
beautiful and wonderful things
This defines my position. 1t is i'm
possible to oppose it without opposing
law and morality.
For the first time in many years
we have had a State Fair clear of gam
bling robbery and of immortality. RI
am glad that on this occasion we had
so magnificent an exhibit of the States
resources and so great a throng of the
States men and women. | honor Pres
dent Battle for the self-sacrihce winch
has characterized his course, and the
integrity of the conduct of his difficult
office. He has given us a Fair that
we may call our State Fair without
shame. SO long as such as he conduct
the institution it will be successful. But
if the word is given that the Fair is
dependent upon the presence and the
license fees of gamblers and Outcast NO
men, its doom is written clear. The
gentlemen who heard laments that these
were absent this year should forget the
protests of the people when they were
present If the Fair shall cater to the
sinful and the obscene, let it be known, |
and let it be boldly declared instead |
of criticising men behind their backs;
and if it shall be made to subserve the |
advancement of the Industrial interests
of North Carolina, honorably and vir- |
tuously, let it be declared in unmis- |
taxable words
| Shall watch to see if the rules en-
4,iv
the committee of inspection is con
tinued.
Sincerely,
r. w BAILEY