The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-11-15
Mr.. AAeERMAN WRITES AGAIN
Suggests That People Generally Elk
press Themselves on the Subject
of Licensed Gambling.

you were inclined to think did some
Roswell in my article on saloons and
gambling, by not giving it credit for
a year.
Perhaps l did do it an injustice,
but if SO, I did not intend to. l think
the mayor and council did excellently
well in raising the license on saloons
to $4,000 a year. 1t was a first long
step towards reform, lone in the face
of strong opposition, and without the
open public support it deserved. The
members of the council believed the
high license would reduce the la
looms to three or four, and doubtless
they are as much disappointed as
ether people that eve remain. The
low license on gambling is what helps
Gil will know better what to do the
I ext time it has a good opportunity
erstand, run until July first, and of
| course nothing can be done by the
council until then. What it will do
then will depend largely on the pub
lie sentiment which is created ag-
ainst saloons and gambling in the
meantime.
What the city government needs,
and what it is entitled to, is the hear
ty, outspoken support of a large ma
jority of the people before committing
itself to the sweeping destruction of
long established and strongly in
trenched evils. 1t is not enough for
a majority of the people to BELIEVE
that gambling dens should be utterly
destroyed. To do any good the peo-
pie who thus believe must speak out
in plain English, and create a public
sentiment which the members of the
council cannot misunderstood. 1t is
not fair to expect them to furnish
backbone and moral courage for them
selves and for the whole community
besides.
Last spring when the high license
question was before the council for
several weeks before it was finally
acted upo the s~aloonists and gam
blers circulated a petition against
high license, and it was numerously
signed-in fact, it was signed by
some of the largest business firms
in town, n by many of the smaller
ones. 1t was a shameful display of
moral cowardice. 1t is no wonder
that some members of the council
were thrown into doubt as to what
the people of Roswell wanted them
to do. Their action has been SO fully |
approved, that it would be impossible
to ever go back to low license on sa-
looms. 1t is seen now however, that
it was a mistake to leave the low
license on gambling. If it cannot be
legally prohibited under the present
Territorial law, as some lawyers
think, it can be taxed IL of exist
ence by a practically prohibitive Ii
cense.
To get our city government to DO
this, when the time comes when it
can act, is, l think, only a question
Of the latent public sentiment against
licensed gambling making itself act
i've. The people should speak ont.
They should not hide their light IN
der a bushel. They should be as ag-
gressive for good as the gamblers are
the merchants, the Roswell CONNER
cial Club, the doctors, and last, but
by no means least. the women of
Roswell should use their united in :
fiuence to create such a strong pub
lie sentiment that it cannot help kill
ing licensed gambling once for all.
With such an assurance of uppor i
the city government would, | believe,
rejoice at the chance to finish the
good work it began last spring.