The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-14
ADAMS REsTATES HIS VIEWS.
REAFFIRMs HIS POSITION ON THE
GAMING QUESTION.

says That What He Has Been Quoted
.s SAYING He Meant to Say and He
sim Believes 1.-THE Question Is
.For Gaming Houses or against
Gaming Houses" whether the
voters so Understand 1t or Not.
MIR. Adams Pays N High Tribute to
Hon. F. G. duBignon-Mr. duBig-
mons Conception of the Law Did
Not suffer the Continuance of Pub
lie Gaming.
Mr.. Samuel B. Adams gave out yester-
Sav a signed statement as to his position
on the subject of public gaming. He re-
afirms the position taken by him in his
speech last Friday and declares that he
has been quoted with entire correctness.
He charges that "the community has GER
tainly suffered greatly by Mr.. osborne's
views on this question" He says:
THE Morning News of the 18th stated
nv position and language with entire cor
rectness. did say and 1 repeat, that the
real issue is For Gaming Houses as
Against Gaming Houses This is. think,
a paramount issue at this time. did not
say, or mean, that a man voting for Mr..
Osborne would consciously and designed
" put In gaming house ticket Doubt
less many of his voters will deny, with
entire sincerity, that this Is the ISSUE and
II may be that a comparatively few of
them would vote a ticket designated For
Gaming Houses
but, nevertheless, it seems to me clear
that this is the issue; that vote for Mr..
Hartridge means vote to suppress this
great evil, and a vote against him means
a vote for its continuance-that this is the
necessary result whether so intended by
the voter or not. The attitude of the two
candidates forces the issue Under Mr..
Osborne's conception of the duty
of solicitor general the
crime fourishes openly and defiantly, with
utter disregard of the law, Of the courts
and of public sentiment Under Mr. Hart
ridges conception q believe The proper
one) of this duty, the crime will be sup
pressed. This being true. the issue men,
toned confronts the voter.
Mr.. Osborne says Quoting his Jan
guage) that 'the sole issue in this cam
paign is legal one. 1t is, what is the
duty of the solicitor general under the
that it is his duty to await the request of
the grand jury, draw the Indictment when
requested by them, and then prosecute the
indicted parties. He says: Prosecutions
inaugurated by the officer who profits Pc
cuniarily thereby cannot be justified on
any ground, legal or moral But Mr.. Os-
borne is not consistent. 1t has been shown
by the records of the courts that numerous
cases have been made by him for the grand
jury through his bailiff. He has not de-
MED this, and will not. When Mr.. Os-
borne has his baiIiff do this at all he
yields the whole contention and does what
he says ought not to be done. Judging him
by his conduct. 1t is right for him to have
his bailiff make cases against gaming
houses often enough to make the office of
solicitor general enormously profitable, but
not often enough to kill the goose that
lays the golden egg. II 1t is right to pull
them occasionally and periodically, It is
right to pull them often enough to sup
press them. The law does not mean to IL
cense them even for the benefit of Mr.. Os-
borne.
II insist that Mr.. Osborne has not, by
his conduct. put the construction on the
statute which he states in his interview.
1t is not true that other solicitors general
have put this construction I do not think
that Mr.. Charlton did. Mr.. Osborne will
take issue with me as to this But he
cannot deny that Mr.. duBignon's admin
istration of his Office shows that he did
not. He was without bailiff, and yet,
without one, public gaming houses were
suppressed during his administration of
his Office. I do not mean to say that
there was no gambling in Savannah, but
1t is certainly safe statement that gam
ing houses did NOT flourish here and that
our community enjoyed comparative,
If not an entire immunity from this great
evil
This distinguished Georgian, who made
an ideal solicitor general, able, firm, and
fearless, thought that the law against
gaming houses was intended to suppress
them and not TO make them a source of
revenue to the officers of court. 1t is a
great pity that Mr. Osborne has not
placed the same construction upon his
official duty. The community has GER
tainly suffered greatly by his views on
this question. Samuel B. Adams"
DIR. PINsON AT WESLEY.