The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-11-14

NoHiPiitN Laws Nhitn Is as iOll0Ns
nat every person who deals.
plays or carries on. or opens, or
causes 10 be opened or who con-
ducts either as owner or employe,
whether for hire or not, any game
OF faro. monte, poker, roulette,
craps, or any banking or percen-
tage game, played with dice cards
or any device for money. checks,
credit, or any representation Of
value, Is guilty OF misdemeanor
and is punishable by a fine OF not
less than hundred dollars nor
more than thousand dollars, and
by imprisonment in the county
jail Tor term OF not less than
thirty days nor more than six
months
You can gamble on any other sub
lect you choose and violate no law
There should be no half way ground
taken by the legislature in dealing
with this subject, il should deal with
II manfully and in a broad way If
we are going 10 permit any sort of
gambling, then permit all kinds of
! gambling in The state Slot machines
/ the shaking of dice for cigars and
/ drinks, racing. cards and every other
kind or gambling wherein money or
| anything Of value is BET or won. should
! De made violation OF the law in ok
lahoma and should be punishable. The
man who conducts a gambling house
1 should be sent 10 the penitentiary To
| TO make this sort OF crime q misde-
meanor is a travesty upon Justice
The man who undertakes 10 live at
the expense OF the good morals of the
state, and whose place of business in.
vites within its walls each day and
night men and boys whose character
is sacrificed to his lust for gold de-
serves and should receive no better
rate than term in the penitentiary
PROHIBITION.
Two years as governor of the state
in an attempt to enforce the prohibi-
tion laws. while that enforcement i'm
many instances has been weak. lax
and absolutely Intellectual has only
convinced me that prohibition can be
made effective. To take any other
view Of the subject is to say that hu-
man government. especially govern
meat OF the people. is R failure The
majority OF the people OF the state
on two separate occasions have voiced
their approval OF statewide prohibit
tlon, and have said that this must be
the law in Oklahoma To permit this
law to remain upon the statute books
as the expressed win Of a majority OF
the people and not enforce the law
and give to the people The benefits
they expect and are entitled TO. Is to
say that the Will OF the minority and
not the Will of the majority must pre-
vail in Oklahoma And here again We
are brought face to face with the same
conditions that prevail with refer
ence 10 the prize fighting and gamb.
ling evils.
In many localities public sentiment
favors the open bootlegging joint Re
cent statements made by officials ad-
mittins their impotency to deal with
this subject show the need of further
legislation upon this subject ] make
this statement without qualification
and after two years of experience
there is not county or city in this
stale where open bootleggine Joints I
can be maintained If local county and
city officials, whose duty It is TO en I
force the law Will do their duty. 1
understand that the bootlegger who
sells whiskey from his pocket who
IS here today and -four blocks away
tomorrow. who has no fixed place of
business, cant be entirely eliminated
rom Oklahoma; but TO say that the
aootlegger who has fixed place Of
business. who makes his sales day
after day. week after week. month af-
er month and in some eases wear af-
er year, just as the groceryman. drug
,ist and the dry goods man does. can
continue this in open violation OF the
aw and not be put out of business. is
o say that law is farce and gov
rnment a failure Such is not true
md where these conditions prevail
here is but one fair explanation of
the local officers whose duty If is
o enforce the law are not ENFORCING
and are not tying to enforce it, n
useless for public officials to under
AXE 10 dodge responsibility. and TO
ay that there are so many other laws /
0 be enforced that they have not the ..
ime to enforce this law No one ex- ,
cots any public official 10 spend all !
I his time enforcing any one law.
at there are enough officials on tho
ayroll in Oklahoma TO enforce all or !
ne criminal laws in the state or at !
,ast to arrest the yiolstors OF these =
.ws
REMOVAL OF OFFICERS.
The Constitution Of this state. i
ontains the following: q
The supreme executive power a
shall be vested a chief maeis @
trate who shall be STYLED The Il
Governor Of the State Of OKlaho- r
ma 1,
The Governor shall cause the d
laws the State 10 be faithfully a
executed" n
Evidently it was the intention Of a
70 trainers Of the Constitution and n
g people who adopted it TO clothe o.
e governor with larger executive m
,wer than any other official in the 81
ate Yet in the execution of the il
US Of this state under the statutes s
AT have been enacted under our con. II
tuition, the governor has very little m
ore power than The humblest citizen OF
Oklahoma. p,
IN order that the governors author III
Z may BE- defined and that his re- df
ests may be observed by local Off
lis. This Legislature should give him re
p power 20 remove summarily from III
ice any local official whose duty IL pr
70 enforce The criminal laws of ok Va
iOma. who fails. neslects or refuses ha
enforce them: and this power on tn
Z part OF The governor should not be WI
,tricted 10 the prohibition law. but st
all criminal laws Clothed with 1 f-t