The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-12
MAYOR OF TOLEDO
ANSWERS CRITICS
Whitlock Tells Why City OF To-
led0 Is Run as a 'sWide
Open" Town.
LECTURE FOR REFoRMERs
WANTS TO KNOW If WOMEN or
STREETS SHALL be DRIVEN IN
TO RESORTS or THE RIVER
AS TO SALOONS.

Toledo. Ohio, May 1o.-"Why is a
town wide open? 2" The question has
been answered by Mayor Brand Whit
lock. He says Toledo is not wide
open town. and he writes long letter
to prove it to a committee representing
the Toledo federation of churches.
This committee few months ago
asked Mayor Whitlock why some GER
tain laws about saloons and gambling
and the so-called social evil were not
more strictly enforced; they not only
asked why they were not more strict
ly enforced, but they demanded that
they be enforced according to their
strict Interpretation.
Mayor Whitlock, after few months
of investigation and observation of
conditions tells them why In long
letter, just given to the church fedora
ton committee today, the mayor tells
why Toledo has been called a wideopen
town, although he maintains that it is
really not wideOpen. He goes into the
whole question of law enforcement in
cities. and why cities must have liberal
Interpretation OF repressive laws.
Covers Whole Ground.
The letter is printed in pamphlet
of q pages. 1t covers the whole ground
1t discusses law from the very begin
ming, what law is, where it comes from
and why the will of the people is al
ways the real law, no matter what the
written statutes may say.
THE law in America is what the peo-
pie will back up" he says, quoting
from the late Mayor of Toledo, Gold
en- Rule Jones'
Il feel like the boy who has been
monkeying with the buzz-saw,' said
one of the church federation commit
tee today. II didn't know a lot of
things about law enforcement when I
signed that letter to the mayor that l
know now; II l had known then what l
know now I'd never have helped to
write that letter, or even signed it. /
feel as if house had fallen on me.
Reformer siIeneed.
What / got to say about it, Moth.
ing! Not word, not single word.
guess there isn't anything to be said.
The mayor says all there is to be said
on the question of law enforcement in
cities, and he says about all there is
to be said"
Mayor Whitlock tells why he be
lieves the poor people are driven. by
economic pressure to shatter to bits
everywhere the little minor laws re
stricting their enjoyments on Sunday
he tells why women are driven onto
the streets and into dives; he tells
why gambling in saloons will always
persist while bridge whist parties flou.
IRISH in other quarters: and while stock
gambling, too. is practiced SO brazen-
ly everywhere in the country; he tells
why people tired after long weeks
work have right to their entertain
ment at the theater and at the bal
game on Sunday, and he even tells
why saloons are permitted to operate
on Sunday, quietly and behind cur
tains, SO as not to offend those other
wise inclined.
| He askes what he is to do with the
women on the streets, and answers his
own question with two more: Are they
to be driven into the brothel or into
the river, or out of the town into an
other. Or will the good people who
want them chastised and driven out
and punished take them into thefl
own homes. or actually do something
to help them?
On Sunday Closing.
Coming now to the statute in refer
ence to Sunday closing-there being. Al
shall show later, no municipal ordin
ance on that subject might say witt
truth that the saloons probably ODE!
the statute as strictly as the generalit,
OF men or OF business do; that in gen
eral the saloonssgive a formal observ
ance to this statute, which is as muct
as many statutes receive, and, indeed
is more than is required in most larg;
cities of this or other states" Mayo
Whitlock declares