Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-04-30


commonwealth. / ordered the police OF the
city Of 81. Louis 10 put 3 stop to the law
~lessness OF these gamblers. They went
out to the race-track and on the first day
stopped at the gates. on the second day
they went through the gates and arrested
the bookmakers, and gave notice that on
the third day they would arrest all the
spectators as well. On the third day
whom they reached the race-track they
found the gates closed and on one Of
them a notice ststing hat tho race-track
was closed until further notice-
That was three years ago. and IL has
not opened yet and will not be opened as
long as ] have the power 20 prevent II.
How sensitive lawbroakers Of high de-
gree are as 10 the manner OF their arrest.
but how merciless they are In trampilng
the statutes Of the state beneath their
feet. Tbs public conscience has ended
this form OF gambling in this state u
Is assaiiing It IN New York and other
states where It u now permitted. II viii
not be long before this criminal-making
vice win be a thing OF the past from one
end Of the country 10 the other.
Gambling, Wlne.Reoms and pramshop
Laws.
1t used to be said that the gambling
laws. the wine-room acts and the dram
shop statutes could not be enforced In
the large cities ! say TO you these laws
are enforced and have been enforced to
the letter Ia the cities OF st Louis, Kan
sas City and ST. Joseph There the gov
ernor has the power to enforce these laws
because he appoints the police commits
sioners in these cities and the excise com
m~iasioners OF the city of St, Louis TIT
open gaming house, once so common. Is
now a thing OF the past. and wine-roouus
have been stamped out The law reouir-
ing saloons 10 close on Sunday had been
ftagrantly disregarded IN these cities, i
ordered Il enforced in accordance with
the oath / took when ] came to the office
of governor. The ssloon-keepers refused
at first. nj they were forced to submit
to the Of the law. They Insisted
tina II the legislature were In session
they would have II repealed There has
been a Legislative session since this law
has been put in force and no one dared
come forward with even n suggestion for
its repeal The result of the enforcement
Of this law has been somewhat remark
able. Crime, that Is. sunday crime. has
BE- en- largely reduced in these cities The
police courts that or Monday morning IN
tae old days were crowded with wretched
men and women recovering from their
Sunday debaucheries, are now practically
deserted. Whatever may be said by the
advocates OF the wtde-open Sunday sa-
loon. statistics show that there has been
less drunkenness since the enforcement Of
this law than before The business Of the
butcher. the baker. the grocer who has no
saloon attachment and the tradesman has
largely increased. The deposits OF work
ingmen in the banks have Increased and
their wages thai formerly YER to the
sunday saloon now 20 10 pay for food
and clothing for the family. or are
many and many a mother. has written
me that they now have something to eat.
and to wear on. Sundays and Mondays,
whereas before they were In want. One
such letter from one good woman more
than compenEates for the curses OF
ten thousand outlaw huuor dealers. The
saloon IL an evil wherever IL may exist. IL
is a power for good nowhere. II Is only
I fN1ar.a faA anywhere fpp fear something
worse may take its place. The question
as to whether the saloons shall be run
out of the state entirely Il an important
one. but a far more important question Is
whether or not the saloons shall be al
lowed TO run the state. They have been
permitted to have too much influences In
political affairs. and Candidates whose
business II would be, If elected. 20 make
/ for this element who AVE been fanatical
/ IN wbreskers Led on by designing poll
ticians the liquor interests have entered
the political Arena backed by millions Of
dollars. with the avOysed purpose Of dom
mating the politics OF the state II they
can M through politics. 10 control the
state. While the enforcement OF the law
closing saloons on Sunday has now be-
come an accepted condition, so that no
candidate for Office in this state would
dare openly oppose this policy, their
resentment against the present executive
for putting the law in force against them
Q AAtE EAhVAA III ARLAtAAAfAAAH 4hNg W.T.
me and ! DO not want their support. II
] have 10 violate my oath OF office by
allowing them the privilege OF lawless-
ness In order TO be elected to any other
office. then / say II Is a price ! win not
pay even TO hold the highest office in the
land. / prefer 10 retire to private life
conscious Of having been true TO my con-
ception Of public duty than to receive the
I encOmiums and support Of lawhreakers BY
being false to my better nature.
The liquor interests claim that they are
In favor OF the law being enforced But
have they welcomed a reign Of law Not
at all. On the contrary. many of them
attempted TO defy the orders TO enforce
the law until they saw defiance was use
less Then hey gave unwilling acquies-
cence while vowing vengeance on the Of
dcials vino dared consider that laws were
made for them to obey the same as Or
binary mortals. The fact that the law
was enforced against them was enough to
array them against me. their theory SEEM
oppose ali who want their business regu-
some Of the saloons here In 81. Joseph
are fighting now. not for existence. but
the next administration, which they hope
will allow them to open on Sunday. They
will obtain no such privilege from this adj
ministration and I do not believe they
will from the next. As long as the liquor
traffic demonstrates that 1t has no respect
for law, human or divine, Just so long
win the sentiment against it continue to
grow.
Other Dramshop Laws.
The governor only has power to en-
force the dramshop laws in the cities
where he appoints the police commission
ers and the excise commissioner. but. in
other portions OF the state, he has no
direct authority. ] believe there should
be some state authority conferred to en-
force the law in every part of the com
Inonweaith after local officials have neg
lected to do their duty. In this respect
however. the general assembly differed
from my views, and no authority was
conferred upon the g%oyern2r TO carry out
the laws except In the cities mentioned.
A dranshop law. however. was enacted at
the extra session Of the general assem-
bly, Of 1907, which is a great aid In en-
forcing the law. Under this act each
dramshop keeper must close not only on
Sunday, but from l O'Clock 10 5 o'clock
each night and must give bond IN the
sum OF $1,000 that he will obey all the
laws Of the state relating 10 dramshops
and upon any violation asy two citizens
can file suit on this bond in the circuit
court. A derelict official law was also
enacted at the extra general assembly Of
1907. whereby any citizen can file suit
in the circuit court against the prose-
cutting attorney, sheriff. a or other
official charged with the enforcement OF
the law. for neglect Of duty. and in the
event it can be shown that the official
has wilfu1y failed to enforce any law ID
is made his duty to enforce. such official
can be ousted from office. The proceed-
ing is a cfvil one and confers the power
on the citizens Of each community 10 rid
themselves OF their officials who in their
public duty forsaks the service OF the peo-
Local Government.