Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-03
of Ottumwa to
Make Effort to Elect Men
Who Will Put Lid On
REAplNe HARVEST OF CRIME
Conditions in City Which Have Led to
Numerous Crimes Arouse citizsns>to
Join in Movement to End the Phillips
Resime-strong Resolutions Are
Adopted.
,eoia, ia Times-Republican.

OttumWa, March 3.-"An end to the
open town." Is the slogan of the repub-
licans Of Ottumwa. Policies to be
maintained were formally presented
and resolutions adopted at a mass
meeting. but all thru the addresses OF
the evening there was but one clari IN
cry-a united expression branding all
undesirable citizens and pledging pro-
teotion to families and property
Righteously indignant at the low plane
which the affairs Of the city and its
attending conditions had reached. the
republicans and law-loving democrats
banded together and announced their
panacea for the civic ills of the COM
munity.
Hon. H. L.. Waterman presented an
outline of the policy which he offered
as a suggestion for the republicans to
take as platform. His resolution fol-
lows:
The Resolutions.
1--WE are here assembled not as re-
publicans, but as citizens of OttumWa,
and as such desire to ratify the nomi-
nations made by the republican party
for city officers, at the recent primar-
les, and for the following reasons:
First The republican nominees are
opposed to what is known as the open
town. while the record Of the demo-
cratic nominees favor such a policy.
Second. The republican nominees
favor the impartial enforcement of all
laws Of the state and ordinances OF
the city while the open town policy
means the enforcement Of laws and
ordinances just so far and no farther
than the bill Of the officials deem 1t
wise and proper to enforce them.
"Ottumwa has had the open town
government for the past two years.
Under that policy the slot machine, the
Kindergarten Of the gambling room.
which had been banished from our
city, was invited to operate without
hindrance or restraint Gambling
houses were inaugurated by the score
wherein was played every game known
to the worst frontier mining town OF
Colorado or Nevada.
Houses Of prostitution, deliberately
furnished, sprung up in their old and
in many new quarters, with the access
ory of unlicensed liquor selling.
Some of these things. thanks to the
action Of the officials OF the district
court and the grand jury, and others
thru fear of their action, have been
curtailed or suppressed; but so long
as we have city officials who favor
the open town. these pest holes OF
crime and crime breeders are certain
to open up whenever 1t is deemed
safe'
This policy has invited to our city.
besides making from some that we all
ready had, many undesirable citizens.
who since the resorts that. naturally
support them are n a depressed condi-
ton, have become full fledged members
of the criminal class. Crime has been
common in our city and numerous out
RACES have been committed against
women upon the public streets, reach
ing its climax in the brutal murder OF
a most innocent woman. Our wives ana
daughters are in nightly terror of as
sault, whether at home or on the pub.
lie streets, and this deplorable condi-
ton in our community has been her.
aided in the public press from Califor-
MIA to Florida.
Neither the individual nor the COM
munity can violate a moral law any
more than physical law without be-
ing punished therefor.
eve sowed. the wind and have reaped
the whirlwind."
eve therefore declare our purpose
to use every effort to change the city
administration by electing on the third
Monday in March the candidates en-
dorsed by the citizens movement and
nominated by the republicans at the
primary, who are pledged to give us
clean city administration, both in name
and in fact"
It was Immediately moved and sec
onded that Mr.. WATERWAYS resolution
be adopted, and it unanimously car
ried.