The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-01-13
LOCAL OPTION
AND BAN ON
RACES
Governor Mead for Reform
in Last Message to
Legislature.

OLYMPIA, Jan. 13.-TaylOr Of
King county had resolution passed
today making February 20 the
final day for introduction of bills.
January 20 is set as memorial day
for w. H. Thompson Walter ].
Reed and John Earles, deceased
members of the legislature.
The two houses met in joint ses-
sion at 1 o'clock to listen to the
governors message.
In his message today Governor
Mead goes at length into the local
option and race track gambling is
sues. He says:
The result Of the recent general
election fully demonstrated that the
platform utterance of the republi-
can party in Spokane last May con-
corning the regulation of the liquor
traffic met with the enthusiastic
approval of great majority of our
citizens. This principle of local
option was given exceptional prom
inence in the primary and general
elections. 1t has received consider
alton in the three previous legisla-
tive sessions. The promise to enact
a reasonable local option law
should receive your early and earn
est attention. The people have reg
istered in no uncertain terms their
desire to secure the adoption of
such a law. For this legislature to
prove recreant to the trust imposed
upon it would be to commit a politi
cal crime. 1t is the question of
paramount Importance before you.
This and other pledges should be
sacredly kept and the covenant
solemnly entered into between
party and people should be right
eously executed.
The state now has upon its stat
utes a law that makes 1t a felony
to conduct a game of chance. That
law was enacted for the purpose of
suppressing one of the most in
sidious and dangerous evils that
preys upon the weakness of man.
It's provisions, however, are not
comprehensive enough to include a
form of gambling that has flourish
ed and grown to grave proportions
in this state. l refer to racetrack
gambling, book making and pool
selling. Aside from the weighty
of public morality,
there is strong, unsentimental
business argument against the con-
tinuance of this vicious traffic.
There is no more fruitful source of
such crimes as forgery and embez-
element than race track gambling,
those crimes which lead to dis
grace, ruin, despair and suicide.
The governor is concise and
plain on the matter of choosing a
United States senator, dealing with
1t as follows:
A wholesome provision of the
direct primary law extended to the
electors of this state an opportun-
ity at the September primaries to
register their choice for United
States senator The people having
exercised that privilege, thereto
fore denied them, and having de-
clared their decision, the simple
duty rests with this legislature to
elect, and, therefore. with the
executive to issue a commission to
the peoples choice, the Hon. Wes-
ley l.. Jones.
You are to be congratulated that,
for the first time in the history of
the state, this capital city will not
be the scene of an unseemly scram-
BILE for this exalted position. Your
deliberations will not be disturbed
by the discord and enmities usually
engendered in senatorial contro-
versies. The time usually lost in
senatorial contests may be used to
good advantage in the prosecution
of your duties as lawmakers.
The total cost to the state and
the several counties of the recent
primary election was $S1 .499.76,
and the total receipts from filing
fees of candidates were 2S,021.60.
The excess of expenditure over re-
ceipts was thus s53,47S.16. which
represents the amount paid from
the several county treasures.
For such sum 1t would seem
that a proper regulation of election
boards could insure more expedi-
tious system of canvassing returns
and the aggravating delay in an
nouncing the results of the recent
election avoided.
Efforts were made by some of the
candidates in the late primary cleo
ton to edfeat the purpose of the
law and violate its spirit by filing
declarations of candidacy solely for
the purpose of aiding or defeating
other candidates for the same
office. Such an abuse of the law
should not be tolerated, but should
be made Illegal and penalties
should be provided for those who
do not file their declarations in
good faith.
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