CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-09-06

| mere mas recently Dee0 presented
to me as Mayor of Canon City, petit
ton demanding in substance, that l
enforce the ordinance and order of
the City Council directed against Joe
by him known as the Canon City Labor
Club, and particularly that 81 abate
the nuisance now being run by Joe
Walton in violation of existing laws"
The petition is signed by approximate
ly $50 persons tincluding quite large
number of minors) of whom approx
mately 325 are residents of Canon
| City proper, or representing about
one-fifteenth of the population of the
city.
/ believe that large majority of
these subscribers Joined in this petit
ton from the highest and most hon
orable motives, and that they fully be-
/ lieve that have been derelict in my
duty as the executive officer of the
city with respect to the matter re-
I ferred to: but l believe also. that COM
paratively few clearly understand the
exact situation or my true position in
regard to it, Therefore. l deem it my
duty to make a statement to these
petitioners and to the public gener-
ally defining my position in regard to
/ the matter as briefly and at the same
time as clearly as l am able to make
/ it
And Hr-cst aCfr rN oil nr- -fEr,
to some of the incidents and occur
ences that have led up to the present
situation. The City Attorney, the City
Marshal and five of the eight mem
bers of the City Council were elected
to their respective offices on what was
known as the Reform or Anti-liquor
ticket. and it must therefore be as
sumed that all of these officials are in
sympathy with any action in further
ance of the principles of the platform
upon which they were elected, and
that if they have failed in their efforts
to suppress the liquor traffic in Canon
City, such failure is not due to wilful
neglect of duty on their part
| The City Council has passed an or
dinance prohibiting the sale, the Civ
ing away or bartering of intoxicating
liquors within the city limits. It has
directed and empowered the City At
torney to prosecute all violators of
this ordinance. So far as l know, he
has not been restricted in any manner
with reference to his authority and
power in this respect. Acting on this
authority, the City Attorney procured
hired detectives to furnish evidence
against violators of the ordinance He
has prosecuted something like 40
cases for such violations, but up to
this time unfortunately, not single
conviction has been procured. Under
the same authority, he commenced an
action in the District Court for an in
junction restraining the continuance
of the so called Walton joint; but on
o hearing, in which of course Walton
was represented by Attorney, the ap-
plication for such injunction was
denied.
The City Council also by resolution
declared the Walton place a public
nuisance and ordered the City Mar
shall to abate it Pursuant TO such
resolution and order, two raids were
made upon this so called Labor
Club" in which several of the Coun-
Gil and some citizens were deputized
to take part: as result of the latter
raid several of the participants are
now under arrest for assault and ma
/ have not been consulted in regard
to these acts and proceedings, l have
not to my knowledge placed any OBJ
stacles in the way of any of these
officials have referred to, in the per-
formance of the acts described. l be-
lieve all were done in good faith and
in the sincere belief on the part of
these officials that they were acting
within their duties and according to
law.
At the regular meeting of the Coun-
ell held on Aug. 9Th last. number of
citizens appeared before the Council
and demanded that /, as Mayor of the
City, take some action in the direction
of closing the said Labor Club. In
response to the demand, l reminded
the committee that steps had already
been taken by the city officials In this
direction and stated in substance that
knew of nothing that 1 could legally
do in this respect. other than that
which had already been done; that II
the committee would furnish me a
written opinion by some reputable
attorney OF this city. pointing out
some other course open to me. l would
be pleased to consider It
| Pursuant to this suggestion, l take
II. the committee has procured q