The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-01-13
final Message of Retiring Governor Deal
With MANY Subjects Affecting the
State--ReCOmmendS Passage of
Local Option and Anti-rdCe
Track Gambling Laws and
Closer Regulation OF
The Divorce Evil

and women to secure employment
readily, and to supplant to some ex-
tent the private bureaus which, by the
use of dishonest methods, persuade the
laborer to yield to them a commission
without making just return.
Oriental immigration.
''The high standard of living and the
schedule of wages of our laboring class
should not be undermined by the pre-
sence within our borders of an in
creased alien population from Asiatic
countries. The state of Washington,
through this legislature, should lift its
voice in opposition to foreign 1mml-
grafton laws which suffer or permit
congestion of Oriental population to in
habit the states bordering on the Paci-
| fic ocean While other states may be
willing to receive this class of imm1-
grants, certainly the states most as
| cessibfe by water transportation should
| not be forced to receive unwillingly
! and hold large additions to their pop
| uIation from Asiatic countries who
| do not amalgamate with American
citizenship and who are not in SYM
pathy with our institutions of gov
ernment
Local Option.
"The result of the recent general
election fully demonstrated that the
platform utterance of the republican
party in Spokane last May concern
/ ing the regulation of the liquor tfaf-
| fic met with the enthusiastic approvai
of a great majority of our citizens.
hi Of
en- exceptional prominence in the pri-
mary and general elections. 1t has
| received consideration in the three
previous legislative sessions. The
| promise to enact reasonable local
| option law should receive your early
| and earnest attention. The people
have registered in no uncertain terms
| their desire to secure the adoption or
! such a law For this legislature to
| prove recreant to the trust imposed
| upon it would be to commit politi-
| cal crime. 1t is the question of para
mount Importance before you. This
| and other pledges should be sacredly
kept and the covenant solemnly enter
! ed into between party and people
| should be righteously executed.
! Race Track Gambling.
| "The state now has upon it's statutes
| a law that makes it a felony to con-
! duct a game of chance. That law
was enacted for the purpose of sup
| pressing one of the most insidiOus and
dangerous evils that preys upon the
weakness of man. It's provisions, how
, ever. are not comprehensive enough to
| include a form of gambling that has
flourished and grown to grave pro-
| portions in this state. l refer to race
! track gambling. book making and pool
| selling. Aside from the weighty con-
| siderations of public morality, there
is strong, unsentimental business ar
| gument against the continuance of this
vicious traffic. There is no more fruit
full source of such crimes as forgery
| and embeZZlement than race track
| gambling those crimes which lead to
! disgrace, ruin, despair and suicide.
| The state of Washington can no long
| er afford to sanction practice so de-
| basing. which each year draws into
the vortex of crime and ruin so many
young men who are lured by the ap-
parent opportunity to make large
| gains on the hazard of small sums.
The violated confidence of employers,
the wrecked happiness of homes ana
the ruin of once promising young men
ought to lead you to give heed to the
statewide demand that you put an
end to that vicious and sordid evil
which is responsible for so mach SUI
fering. anguish and crime in those
communities where it flourishes.
urge that you make race track gamb-
ling. book making and pool selling
felonies and that you attach thereto
penalties sufficiently severe to insure
their permanent suppression.
T Criminal Code Commission.
81 recently appointed a commission
, of five lawyers. representing the coun-
5 tv attorneys. to examine the criminal
{ code of the state and suggest sucn
5 changes. additions. notifications ano
: revisions as in their judgment is ad-
visable. This commission consists OF
George F. Vanderveer, of Seattle; G
: D. Eveiand. of Everett; Fred Pugh, OF
, Spokane: Virgil Peringer, of Belling-
: ham. and P. M. Troy of Olympia
These gentlemen are now applying
themselves to the task in conscien-
tious manner. giving their time and eff
r forts without expectation of other COM
, pensation than the satisfaction of per-
; forming valuable service for the
state Their report will be embodied
in a bill which will be presented tt
4 you during this session. The repor