The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-13

| the drug being openly sold by many druggists to young and old. Only the other day two mothers appeared in police court and asked that their sons. who had become victims of the habit, be locked up. One of the boys was only 16 years old. and he was next to the oldest of a family of thirteen chil- dren. He became addicted to the druK when he was 10, and his career down ward had been rapid. A day or two before he apeared in court his mother had given him a suit of new clothes, and the next morning he was found asleep In a vacant lot. His hollow eyes. the drawn mouth and the perpetuaily elevated eyebrows told what tho drug had done for him. HiS mother had with her in court another son. f4 years old, who had just got out of Cath ollie protectory, and had straiEhtway fallen victim to the drug.
 The other mother brought with her grown son. 21 years old, who had formerly held a good job. Ifis appear ance indicated that he was a wreck. His mother said that he came homo every night drunk from the drug and that younger son was fast slidfng into the grip of tho habit. The victims almost invariably admit that they are slaves to "coke" as they call 1t.
 Yes. the eoke's got me-" said the elder boy. but 1t won't do any good to send me away or lock me up. I'd only go at 1t again after got out" The flaw, places practically no restric- ton upon the interruptions druggist who desires to sell the drug. The only requirement is that the druggist shall make record of the purchasers name and the purpose for which he wants 1t, but many druggists, especially in the Tenderloin, do not even do that. There is big profit in the trafilc and nf aI, upon the sale of cocaine and morphine to keep them going. Some proprietors even send agents Into the streets to sell the drug
 Cocaine Is an alkaloid derived from cocoa leaves. In its crystalixed form 1t Is pure white and fiaky. It is usu- ally crushed to powder and snufked, although sometimes it Is injected in solution. The fingers of the cocaine fiend are often covered with sores caused by the drug penetrating the skin. When the victim Is exhiiirated by the drug he tells others how good he feels and urges them to share iri his joy. which accounts for the habif spreading among boys.
 The habit has grown much faster in other cities. In Chicago there are said to be 10000 users of cocaine, In Bnl- timore 1t has become . serious prob lem, and Syracuse is said to consurne more of the drug than New York city.
 The Metropolitan Police.
 Colonel Joel B. Erhardt. a former police commissioner and generally re- cognized as an authority on police af- fairs. says of the police department of this city: Tt has never been in such putrid condition as 1t is today" Ac- cording to Colonel Erhardt. fully one third and probably two-fifths of the men on the force should be dismissed flor that number are inf1cient and corrupt and many of them are both 6 Two-thirds of the citizens of this city doubtless will agree with Colonel Erhardt The pool room situation fur nlshes a good illustration of the work ings of the police department. The fn- spectors and the captains say there are practically no pool rooms open. Here is what a man who ts in a posi- ton to know says:
 There are a hundred places open right now Give almost any messen- ger boy a fat tip and he will direct you to pool room or a gambling re- sort. If a messenger boy isn't handy ask a policeman. Say to. him Oficer. I've got a sure thing: whore can place bet If win I will remember you Go to so-and-so's, it's safe 1t afn't goin' to be raided. is pretty apt to be his reply.
 T know a place that was raidsd in a spectacular manner a few weeks aNo but the next day I met the proprietor and he invited me around. He had fixed 1t up with the police and within a week they were actually tolling pso- ole into his place. One day along about the same time met the proprie- tor of a pool room further down town. He told me I had better not come around: he was expecting a raid. He waa a stubborn sort of a chap and A.xsA tn N-mk kN-l-. - ey so the police were keeping him on the anxious seat. They sent out q tip every day that he was to be raided and he kept busy warning his custo- mers. Finally he saw a great light, paid his protection money, withstood a spectacular raid and reopened."
 Hughes and the Presidency.
 J2Nrheodore Roosevelt should adhere to y.s announced determination not to accept renomination for President for a third term at the hands of the Re- publican party, there are a number of New York politicians who would not be surprised to see the roosevelt man. tie fall upon the shoulders of Charles E. Hughes the Empire States new Gov ernor. It is only fair to say, howevar. that there are many politicians who do not share this view. They declare that if Secretary Taft is not chosen the old guard m hepuDilCAn nallonl politics, will dictate the nominee. and, of course, Hughes would be the last men to have their support.
 The men responsible for the Hughes talk assert that he is probably the only men in public life today with the ex- ception of Secretary Taft. possessinE the qualifications to carry out Presi- dent Roosevelts policies. They accept as sincere Mir. Tafts declaration that his ambition is not political and ex- pect to see him upon the Supreme Court bench before the end of MT Roosevelt's term.
 It would seem nothing short of start ling to politicians to see Charles F. Hughes in the White House. Mr. Hughes was unknown to politics until he was employed a counsel to the Armstrong insurance Investigating committee and made a record that swept him into the Governors chair although every other candidate on the Republican State ticket was defeated.
 MT Hughes Is the inpl@aable foe of corruption. but as reformer he Is a conservative. He Is the antithesis of President Roosevelt In that he sroea about hls reforming unaccompanied by tendencies. He believes in accomplishing his recommendation legally. If the law Is bad, change the law, do not disobey 1t. He is not a constitution -smasher. ~
 While the New York Cotton Ex.