The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-07
MAYOR MYERS ON GAMBLING.
HE THINKS MORAL sUAsION Is BET
TER THAN LAW.

Believes State Laws should he En-
forced by State Omccrs-There Are
no Ordinances Upon the Books of
the City Against Gambling or RE-
Guiring the Police to Ferret Out
These Offenders-If Such Ordinance
es should BE Adopted He Would
Enforce Thcm-ThinISS Rev. MIR.
Anthony should Have Used Moral
SuasiOn With His ErrIng Members
Rather Than Firing Them Out.
Mayor Myers does not agree with Rev.
Bascom Anthony of Trinity Church that
the City Council Is responsible for the
general prevalence of gambling In Savan-
nah, and that 1t is its duty to take meas
ures for the suppression of the evil
1T is peculiar" said Mayor Myers, that
after the laws against gambling have been
enforced for so many years by the Of
ficers of the courts that the City Council
should be informed that 1t Is responsible
for gambling and that II is its special duty
to put a stop to the evil What are the
stale courts and their officers for If not to
II do not know what Council will do
about the matter" said the Mayor in an
swer to question. There are no ordi-
nanees upon the books by which we can
undertake to suppress gambling. If Coun-
Gil chooses TO enact such ordinances 1 will
see TO it that they are enforced"
Are not the Mayor and aldermen sworn
. lou Of he fafA nd do
the police not make arrests for state Of
fenses?" Mayor Myers was asked.
1t is true that we are sworn generally
to uphold the laws of the state" replied
the Mayor. and that we endeavor to GO
so. The police make arrests for burglary,
theft and similar crimes, but there are
many state laws which we do not enforce.
many of which, in fact. the police and the
aldermen themselves are unacquainted
with, When a policeman finds gambling
being carried on openly it is his duty to
arrest the parties and IN such cases the
parties arrested. il guilty. are turned over
to the state courts. The city has no ordi-
The police have no authority to enter
houses and break down doors because they
believe gambling to be going on in certain
places. AS l understand it they can only
commit such acts legally after having
been sworn as state officers. which shows
be enforced by state officers
Has the city the authority to pass ord
inances against gambling and imposing
penalties for violations of the same?'
The city has the authority TO pass ord
inances of this kind which do not conflict
with the state laws. AS gambling is pro-
hibited by the state the city doubtless has
the right to impose prohibition of its
own. The state forbids the sale of liquor
on the Sabbath day and so does the city"
"Wi any effort he made to secure the
adoption of such ordinances" the Mayor
was asked.
THAT is a matter entirely with tho
members of Council" he replied.
Il have never considered" said the
Mayor, that the police force was intended
for the suppression of gambling and SINH
lar misdemeanor offenses. 1t ia not its
duty to ferret out these offenders, as has
been commended. This is the duty of the
officers of the courts. Any magistrate can
issue warrants for the arrest of persons
whom he knows to be engaged in gamD-
ling and can bind them over to the courts
for trial. Any constable who knows of per"
sons engaged in gambling can secure war
rants and make arrests. The provisions
of the law for the suppression of gamb-
ling are ample # the officers of the law
choose to make use of them. 1t is the duty
of the police force to preserve order and
to carry out the orders of their superior
officers"
Mayor Myers was informed that Mr..
Anthony had stated that he had been com
PEELED TO exclude a very large number of
members, many of them country boys who
had yielded to the seductions and tempta-
tons of the city.
Il do not think 1t to Mr. Anthony'e cred
1t that he should have turned out so many
of his members" said Mayor Myers. II
think It would have been much more 10 his
credit for him to have used his efforts with
these young men to reform them and put
them in the right path again than TO have
excluded them entirely from the benefits
of the church. Moral suasion, in my opln-
ion, Is of much more effect in preventing
drinking and gambling and similar offenses
than prohibition by law. The mere pro-
hibition of an evil does not prevent It,.
Personally I do not approve OF gambling.
i do not know Of my own knowledge of the
existence of a single gambling house in
this city i would not have a man In my
employ who gambled and l think there
would be much less complaint of this mat
ter If all employers would impose a SINH
lar restriction"
1t remains now to be seen whether there
are members of Council who view the mat
ter differently from the Mayor and wheth-
er any of them will take 1t upon them
selves to introduce ordinances specifically
declaring the duties of the police in these
matters and providing penalties against
gaming.
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