Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-11-05

iHbTe Is tuJOy III Sutii an tNth-
ing and the one hundred or more
present passed a pleasant evening
| The Rebekahs always do the right
| thing.
r. E. Peterson will prove one of
| the best If not the best assessor La
Plata county has ever had. He will
attend strictly TO the duties of the
office and will do so without preju-
| dice to any one, or dcsire to use the
office TO punish political enemies or
favor political friends. And that is
the kind of public service the people
want now.
When anybody asks you to vote
| against George Thompson on the pre-
text that gambling is going on in Du-
| range or that the midnight and Sun
day laws governing saloons are be-
ing violated, ask him If he is willing
to produce evidence that will convict
anybody. Tell him that he can make
fifty dollars by furnishing such in
formation Or evidence.
%
| What do You think of the citizen
who says he knows there is gambling
| going on and that liquor is being sold
| in Durango on Sunday as an excuse
for voting against George Thompson,
when. after making the statement. he
refuses to furnish information that
would result in conviction. Does such
| citizen believe the laws are being vio-
lated or is he using falsehood as a
| subterfuge to hide the cause of his
| opposition? But what do you think
of such citizen?
| Hans Aspaas confirmed the state
ment that w. NJ. Peterson. Republican
candidate for county commissioner,
had purchased the Aspaas ranch of
100 acres. situate about fifteen miles
from Durango, near the La Plata
river. in La Plata county. This is
one of the best improved farms along
| the La Plata river and Mr.. Peterson
will begin early In the spring to put
ir larger crops and to improve the
place to make 1t his future home. II
| will not be urged now by Democrats
that Mr.. Peterson is not a property
holder or taxpayer unless they de-
sire to misrepresent. Mr.. Aspaas still
has four hundred acres of land along
| tIt La llilu liNtl anu VIII tpnliuut
to handle that for the production of
hay and grain.
Those who desire to see Durango
remain as 1t is now, with gambling
closed and the saloons closed mid
night and Sunday, must not forget
that were Sheriff Thompson defeated
in the present campaign, the city
would soon return to its old condi-
| tons, and that it may he long time
before any other sheriff will try as
hard as has either w. ]. Thompson
or his brother George, to enforce the
laws. While the sheriff is doing all
| in his power to enforce the laws 1t is
still possible for men who are willing
to inform against violations Of the
laws to be brutally beaten without the
offenders being punished. What
would II be with a sheriff in sym
pathy with gambling and other vio-
| lations?
| 1t is such work as carried on last
/ night that eventually lands many a
kid and man in the pen. This wan
| ton destruction of property is carried
on beyond all reason and It is high
time a score or more of officers are
appointed each year to run in the law
| less ones. There is a vast difference
| between harmless pranks and destruc-
| ton of property. And what will boys
| do later in life when they enter n
mans barn, take his horse and buggy
and hide them where II may take days
| to find them. One person remarked
| this morning that great many par
ents considered their responsibility
| ended when they brought children
| into the world-that they were free
| to roam and do as they liked. This
Is the cause of crowding our peniten-
tiaries with criminals. Small begin
| nings grow to proportions that can
| not be cured later on in years. The
| Herald does not desire to take away
| innocent amusement and jokes. but
wanton destruction of property Is
carrying the matter altogether too
| far If parents are unable or unwill.
Ing to lend helping hand to uuell
| such practices, and the schools power
| less to inculcate higher ideals, then
| there is nothing left but the Jail. And
while on this subject, are those in
charge of our educational institutions.
both In Durango and elsewhere. set
ting the right example? The Herald
will deal more fully with this subject
in future Issue.
Political speakers through the coun-
try have been confronted with prop
osition which our Democratic friends
should relish. Many of the people
have said: II will be glad to see that
town of yours remain closed. When
we have been in there to secure resi-
dence so that one or more OF the chill
dren could attend the High school we
have found all your houses occupied
and rents higher than we could af.
ford to pay. We found the gambler
occupying here and there. all over
town. the best houses, and willing to
pay price which our earnings would
not permit us to pay. Their wages.
from IS to $40 day, enabled them
to shut us out. We have generally
had to find a place where our children
could board or rent a small room for
them to batch" In. And nt the same
time. when the peoples money was
gliding the gambling places. we found