Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-05
THE "opEN TOWN."

tumwa, Iowa. under the Act of Congress
OF March 3. 1879.
THE "OPEN TOWN."
The sentences imposed on number
Of gamblers in the district court Sat
urday, by Judge Roberts. marks the
end of long reign of open gambling
in Ottumwa.
Public sentiment has at last reach
ed the point where it will no longer
stand for the open and willful viola
ton of law that has, with the excep-
ton of two years, reigned supreme in
Ottumwa since 1897.
For several years prior to the cleo
ton of Mayor SHUTS, gambling, bawdy
houses and saloons in Ottumwa ran
practically without restriction. The
"open town" issue carried in the cleo
tons of 1897, 1899, 1901 and 1903, and
in this eight years Ottumwa reached
a degree Of "openness" that in many
respects was never excelled by
Creole, Colo. in its palmiest days.
The biggest and most elaborate baw
dy houses in the city were on Main
street, the gambling houses had policy
signs in front of their doors and sub
scriptions to the policy games were
openly solicited on the streets Gam
bling in all forms was rampant and
the saloons kept open as long as they
wanted to- the bawdy houses sold beer
and whisky at all hours the city was
the rendezvous of thieves and con-
dit1ons were about as bad as they
could be.
Then in 1905 B. F. SHUTS was elect
ed mayor and matters took decided
change for the better. The bawdy
house nuisance was lessened, policy,
crap and roulette were dispensed with,
gambling reduced to the minimum,
many of the gamblers left the city and
the saloons conformed to the law, or
very nearly so. The tough element
was much discouraged and most of it's
prominent members followed the gam
blers out of town. 1t is very nota-
BILE fact that on several Monday
mornings, the city Jail was without
an occupant, and the police court was
out OF business many days during
Mayor Suits term of office.
Then last spring the "open town
policy again carried. The issue in the
last city election was plain and clear
" defined. 1t was not whether the can,
didate was republican or a demo
crat, but 1T was whether we should
have an "open town. or not. One side
stood for regulation and control of the
so-called necessary evils and the 9th
er stood for the "open town" which
means lin this or any other town.
that all forms of gambling will be
allowed, that the closing hour Of
col
that the bawdy houses can sell BEEF
and whisky at any and all hours ant
that these things can be done with the
knowledge of the city officials.
1t was left to the people to decide
what they wanted and the majority O
the voters decided that they wanted
the "open town" They got it, and The
administration is simply carrying GU
the policy on which it was elected
The fact is that many people who d.
not really know what an "open town
means, vote for it, when If they wer,
fully cognizant Of the conditions the,
were helping to bring about, the,
would not think of voting that way
However, this city administration i
doing no more or no less than shout,
be expected of it. 1t is simply carry
ing out the policy of the open town.
But there comes time when com
mon decency and the morals Of tn
community rebel. and when the law O
right has to be reckoned with. TIL
lawless element gets to going ito
strong" and then things are brough
up with short turn. Public sentinlen
is changing in regard to these maj
tiers. A higher moral standard is be
ing demanded of public officials. It |
an era of law enforcement and Judg
Roberts did right in applying the la,
in this matter. Ottumwa has in tn
last year, had more than it's share c
crime, and something must be don
to get relief
The very idea of the "open town" |
dangerous and degrading. 1t is col
tinuous menace to the safety of tn
public The real meaning Of the "ope
town." whether it is Ottumwa or an
other town, is nothing more nor les
than that the city administration {
that town let the bawdy houses, gan
bling houses and other vices run vi
molested in violation of the laws {
the state upon the payment of a sui
of money to the city
This proposition, on the face of i
is the most dangerous policy concei
able. If an administration is electe
simply because 1t is to allow certaj