The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-20
BUSINESS MEN TALK.
Mir. Hardfe Outlines His Reasons for
 Prosecuting Gamhlers.

nbShNnSS MEN IALhs
 Mir. Hardie Outlines His Reasons for Prosecuting Gamhlers. 'I have not inaugurated any spec
 tacular crusade. am not engaged in any spectacular campaign. am | only putting into practice my convic- tic ns that 1t is the duty of the good citizens of Montgomery to cooperate l with ihe authc-it!ts or to do anything else that will reform the deplorable
 conditions that exist in Montgomery" | Iii these words Bradford Hardie, a leading wholesale merchant. the man | who Is responsible for the successful | raid on the Alexander gambling hell.
 stated his position to a representative
 of The Advertiser yesterday. | Mir. Hardie it will be recalled went | before Recorder A. 1T. Arlington and
 made affidavit that he had good reasons | to believe that the third floor of the
 Merchants Hotel was being used as a | gambling hell. Under the City Code ! this affidavit. when 1t was placed in | them to break in or make a forcible | entry into the suspected place. ''Corditions in Montgomery are de- rlorablc. most deplorable." continued l MT. Hardie. No man in business is | safe. He does not know who of his | employees are habitues of gambling | hells in the city. The gambling Is so | open, the temptation is so great, that
 no man knows who of his employees are
 able to resist 1t.
 T feel that it Is my duty and the
 duty of other citizens of Montgomery. who have the welfare of the city at 1 heart 10 cooperate in every possible
 way with the authorities in stamping out this great evil. I wish to com mend Chief Gerald for his euccessfui work in raiding the Alexander place.
 called on the chief this morning and personally thanked him for the sue cess Of his department.
 'SThe Jackson amendment to our gambling ordinance should, I think, be repealed It should never have been enacted
 While Mir. Hardie was engaged in conversation with The Advertiser man General J w. A. Sanford came in and
 said to Mir. Hardie. T desire to thank
 you. sir. for your public spirited act. l wanted to come to you personally and express my appreciation of your
 service to the people of Montgomery. Conditions in Montgomery were in famous. The gamblers were controll-
 ing the city and defying public opinion as they have not done In Montgomery
 since 1886.
 ''The series of cartoons that The Advertiser was running was of the
 greatest beneht. They presented to the people the rule of the gamblers as
 nothing else could have done. Thomas Mast destroyed the Tweed ring and
 sent William Tweed to the penitentiary
 with his cartoons. The Advertiser car
 toons were awakening public opinions
 as nothing else could have done. And MT. Hardie. want to tell you,
 that if this raid had not taken place
 it was my intention to call a public
 meeting of the citizens of Montgomery
 to protest against the rule of the gam bler."
 T am of the opinion that a public
 meeting should be called even now" replied MT. Hardie. Tt would serve
 to crystalline public opinion and to encourage the authorities in any effort
 they might make to suppress gambling
 Mir. Anderson Urges CO-OperatiOn. Charles P. Anderson declared that
 the officials should be given every en- couragement when they moved against
 tho gamblers.
 The suppression of gambling Is an
 undertaking beset with difficulties. It
 is not an easy thing to raid gambling
 rooms and to get the evidence that will
 convict the men who are found there
 The testimony in the average gam
 bling case. when 1t gets before the
 court, Is to say the least. a little queer
 The chief of police and the sheriff who
 start out to break up gambling should
 be given encouragement and CO., operation.
 The Jackson amendment was a mis-
 take, a serious mistake. You cannot
 make a law which will say to one man.
 You can gamble in your bedroom and, at the same time say to another you
 cannot gamble in your bedroom When
 this is attempted unfortunate condi- tions are certain to follow. Why. 1t
 would have been better if the City Council of Montgomery had passed an ordinance giving gamblers permission to dc business provided they paid a license of $5.Oo0. In that event only one place would be operated as several are said to be operated now. The man who Is able to pay the license would pay men and send them out to get into the other rooms and furnish the officials with evidence that would put them out of business. Now un-
 derstand do not favor anything like 1 this.
 "When gambling has become so public, so notorious. as in the recent past the time for action is past due" MT. HObbie Was Emphatic. Henry NJ Hobbie. a prominent whole | sale merchant, had firm convictions upon the question that is so vitally af- | feetinE the city of Montgomery and he | expressed them unhesltatingly. Mir. | Hobbie said
 q am free to say that I am unaIter- | ably opposed to that most pernicious vice, gambling. in whatever form 1t may be presented. and. as a citizen If Montgomery. I think we owe 1t to our
 selves to put the stamp of hearty dis l approval upon it. Those in authority | should not hesitate for a moment to amend the present law and If neces- sary enact such new ordinances as will prove efEeetuaI in forever wiping out