The Kalispell bee., 1901-03-26
MASS MEETING
OF PURIFIERS
AT the Opera House Last Even
ing Well Attended.
SCORED THE OFFICIALS
OF the City, Charging Them With NAL
feasance in Office and Other
Crimes.

Before an audience of perhaps 200.
a majority of whom were women, and
boys and girls, the Law Enforcement
League presented it's side of the ques-
ton at the Opera House last night.
The majesty of the law was represent.
ed by Judge Pomeroy, the Gospel by
Revs Fisher, Wells and Morris, Mr.
j. G. Edwards and G.. w. Avery rep
resenting themselves, principally.
These six gentlemen occupied the
stage and were the stars of the even
ings performance.
Mr. Wells did the Introductory hon.
ors and occasionally interjected a re-
mark bearing upon the matter at is
sue, but was not beligerent until the
last act.
Very quietly, concisely and dispas-
sionately Mr.. Edwards addressed the
audience. He disclaimed any politi-
cal scheme as attached to the purity
movement and endeavored to estab-
lish that point by citing the fact that
the city administration which they
were endeavoring to supplant was
democratic and that so far as he
knew every candidate of the Law En-
forcement League belonged to the same
political faith. Mr.. Edwards devoted
the remainder of his time to the dis
cussion of the evils of gambling and
emphatically denied that in any case
that evil was source of prosperity
to this or any other town. He re-
hearsed several incidents which had
come under his personal observation
where misery and suffering had followed
the green cloth, occurring right here
in Kalispell, and further rehearsed the
story of Cashier Johnson, the Niles,
Michigan, banker, whose defalcatiOn
amounting to nearly 100000 was di-
rectly attributable. to the gambling
habit. Mr.. Edwards stated earlier
in his speech that his nomination had
come to him unsought and unasked
for. but that in Difference to his friends
and neighbors he had concluded to
paign as was possible to be elected.
He further stated that he was unal-
terably opposed to gambling in any
form and that if he should be elected
to the council from the Third ward
his utmost endeavors would be to
close gambling quickly and forever in
Kalispell.
The Reverend DR.. Morris was next
presented. and in a Commute speech
he discussed the variety theatres and
houses of ill fame much more
rancorously than he did the gamblers.
He also took occasion to attack the Of
f1cials of the city in a negative man.
ner and made several startling state
ments as to their probity, which he
afterward qualified by asserting his
own disbelief. Among other charges
he made was that for purposes of Sc
curing the tenderloin vote at the last
city election, the fines formerly assess
ed every week against the unfortu-
nate red curtain populace were for
that particular week remitted. He
also stated that he did not hold the
police blamable as he had been assur-
ed by them in private converse that
! q fi,11o Vuhnv, tho
headquarters to close up the gambling
games or to break up the shows. they
were ready to comply. Mr.. Morris.
continuing, went over good deal of
ground that he has already covered
in his sermons, that were published
from time to time in the Bee, and
closed with an expressed determina-
tion to stay by the program, and for
the enforcement of the laws, saying
1--WE will fight it out on this line if it
takes all summer"
The monotony was broken when
Judge Pomeroy advanced to the foot
lights. He began slow, went up high
er. closed with ire. and sat down in a
storm. He treated the city admins
tration to a most scathing criticism,
read extracts from the gambling law
which proved every gambler a thief,
and held up to the public execration
the officials from the mayor down, all
of whom he charged with malfeasance
in office. Judge Pomeroy talked so
fast and so bitterly that it is not pos
sible to give even a correct synopsis
of his Grafton, but it was a burner
from every point of view.
j The chairman stated that another
meeting for the discussion of the is.
sues of the campaign would take place
Saturday evening at the same time
and place.