Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-26
SAYS WOMAN SUFFRAGE
is FAILURE IN DENVER

LOS ANGELES, Aug 20.-LEditor
Herald: Several articles have ap-
peared in The Herald claiming that
women have improved political condi-
tions in Colorado, especially Denver.
No doubt the good women who read
these articles place full faith in their
truth The following article is copied
from the Denver News of August z,
1909 under the heading, Denver
Wide open City; Its officials Are Cur
rupt-Christian Union Leader:
Gambling and all other evils are in
full swing in Denver, according to an
address by II. G. Fisher, president of
the Christian Citizenship union, at
South Broadway Christian church, last
night. He declared that the authori-
ties are winking at the violation of the
laws, and that there is discrimination
in the Sunday closing of saloons.
Fisher said in part: Denver is rot
ten. Here in Denver the greatest OBJ
stacles in the way of law enforcement
are the officials themselves, whom we
have elected TO do that which they re-
fuse to do, for some reason or othe-.
1t is disgraceful-the insolence of our
public servants. but we are powerless
to prevent it. Had we but the power
of recall, / venture to say there would
be more doing along law enforcement
lines in Denver.
"I don't want to be considered a ia
matte or a Inocker, but facts are facts,
and l am willing to stand bv my state
ment when | say CONDITIONS ARE
MOST DEPLORABLE IN DENVER
AND VICINITY, and unless we arc
alert and active now things Will be
worse, for word has been passed that
Denver is again to be a ''wide-open'
town. That is why there was a prize
fight the other night in our beautiful
20 10
If Denver would stand for such things,
But she will not, and If our officials,
sworn to enforce the laws, fail us
again, they too will be relegated to po-
litical oblivion with their predecessors
Gambling is going on tonight in
Denver, at the Arcade, Navarro and
other places, and our officials know all
about it. The redlght district WAS
NEVER IN WORSE CONDITION
THAN AT PRESENT. All temporary
restrictions of a year ago have been
abandoned. And as for the Sunday
saloon and liquor selling. 1t is nothing
short of SHAMEFUL, the discrimina-
ton in the enforcement of this law.
Scme places are closed tight. others
are wide open, and our officials sit
idly by"
Mr.. Fisher has taken a prominent
mart in the attempted reform move
meflt of Denver. and he certainly knows
what he is talking about. However. l
doubt whether the recall would be
effective. The corporations and saloon
men who put these officials In office
would see to it that they were not re-
called. -.
The Denver News of August 4, 1909,
reports the following resolution, intro
duced by a member of the board or
aldermen:
whereas, A great many prominent
1f ~ Gi IL
fed their willingness to raise a sum of
money sufficient TO bring the coming
battle for the worlds heavyweight
championship between James ]. Jeffries
and Jack johnson to the city of Dem
yer: and
whereas, Such an event would bring
thousands of men prominent in all
walks of life to our city and would also
be a gerat advertisement for our city;
and
whereas. The council of the city
and county heartily approve the move
ment; therefore be it
"Resolved, by the council of the city
and county Of Denver, That we VIII
encourage any reasonable and feast
BILE effort to secure for the city of Den
yer the ENORMOUS FINANCIAL AD-
VANTAGE THAT SUCH AN ENTER
TAINMENT WOULD BE CERTAIN
TO BRING WITH IT"
Capitals In both articles are my
own)
these many years, and with the eXcep-
tion of the prediction bluff at reform
of a year ago, never to my knowledge
has Denver been anything else but a
wide open town. 1t is my belief that
Los Angeles at it's worst under Mayor
Harper was better, both morally ana
politically, than Denver at its best-l
have lived in New York. San Francisco
and Denver; and while neither of the
two first named cities is noted for po-
litical or moral purity, Denver accord
ing to population, is the worst of the
three. 1t seems strange that any one
should even mention woman's suffrage
in connection with Colorado, to say
nothing of holding that state up as a
model Of nuritv. OBSERVER.