The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-09-14


student of government believe that
an American community, a city of
more than 5000 inhabitants, con-
sisting of people of mixed classes,
engaged in various occupations and
lines of business, could exist in this
day and age without an organized
form of government? 1t is often
contended that the state or com
munity which is least governed is
the best governed, but what would
be said of community where there
is no government, at least no gov
eminent by municipal regulation
or law. 1t would be called state
Of anarchy.
But let those who proclaim them.
selves reformers, who would uproot
graft and conducte municipalities
upon business principles and for
the best interest of all, draw nigh
and harken unto the story of a
modern American city ruled with.
out government where order is pre-.
served, where life is not endanger.
ed. where property is secure and
where the record of crime is as
low as in any other American com.
munity of equal size which has its
statute books filled with laws and
municipal regulations.
Let him who doubts go and see
for himself-go to Goldfield, Neva
da, for there he will find these
conditions. No more than IS months
ago the site upon which Goldfield
is built was a desert waste with
a line of irregular buttes lying on
the east and a huge ridge of bar
rem malapai upon the west, and
covered with nothing except sage
brush and here and there scattered
Joshua trees. But gold was dis
covered in those rugged buttes
There was a rush to get 1t, and
today Goldfield is a modern Ameri
can city. 1t has pretentious build
ings of stone. brick and frame, il
has graded streets and sidewalks
it has banks, it has schools and
churches, public halls and clubs
electric lights and a telegraph and
telephone system, water works and
scavenger wagons, a fire depart
ment, hotels, restaurants and
scores upon scores of business
houses, but not municipal officer
or a solitary policeman. Yet Gold.
field could scarce be called Utopian
for there are brothels and dance
and concert halls where immortality
holds sway. and saloons, probably
200 of them, whose doors are never
closed; day and night, Sunday and
holiday, there is to be heard the
merry clink of glasses while eam-
bling. houses galore are always
open to the votaries of chance. On
the wall above the faro banks. the
roulette wheels. the crap" tables
and every other gambling device
is to be seen the sign, This game
never closes"
Leaning against the highly pol
ished rosewood bar of one of the
largest and most popular saloons
In town. with drinks in hand or
waiting to be served. an old Pink
erton detective who CHANGED to be
in Goldfleld in search of an EN-.
bezzler from another city. not long
ago counted Is men whose pictures
adorn the rOgues' galleries of the
principal cities of the country. Out
laws, ex-convicts and fugitives
from justice have for months made
Goldfeld their Mecca. yet for
some reason which must be left
to criminologists to account for.
these men are lawabiding In Gold
field. Parasites and grafters there
are in numbers perhaps out OF pro
portion to the population, but for
them there is no opportunity to
graft upon the public at large.
There is no municipal treasury to
be plundered and no favoritisms to
be handed out by any in authority
to their followers.
Within Is months there have
been four killings In Goldfield. One
was purely in self defense and
there was no need for furnishing
the man who fired the deadly shot:
another was for revenge and In
this case self defense was made
out and sustained by the commun-
ity; third was the result of an old
grudge revived in Goldfeld, while
the fourth was brought about as
the result OF quarrel over a WON
an. The perpetrators OF the last
two are held awaiting trial,
Petty crimes are almost un.
known. Larceny Is as uncommon
as mutiny aboard a well disciplined
A tonic that makes sick people
well. Drives out all impurities that