Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-05
The POOR MANS CLUB.

NJ you, so far as the making of laws
Is concerned, at least, are the
whole people Of the state Of Oregon
Your acts are theirs hence it behooves
you to consider well before acting up
on proposed laws which interfere with
the natural rights or liberty Of any or
all Of the people Of the state. There
Is a bill now before you proposing
among other things, to close the pool
and billiard rooms in the cities on
Sundays. theoretically the bill Is all
right, but how will 1t work out praC-
tically? Is the law necessary? Is it
just? Is it equal in It's application to
all classes? In other words Is it not
class legislation of the most pronounc-
ed kind?
In practically every city in the state
there are such pool rooms, They are
large roomy well provided with chairs
warm and comfortable, and they sell
no spirituous liquors of any kind In
every city, also. there Is class Of
hard working men who are homeless.
They nave no families, board at res
taurants, and their bed rooms are such
that they are untitled for occupancy
during The day heing usually lily light
ed and without heat.
To this class Of men, the pool room
Sundays is aayen Of rest They are
about the G Iy places they can 80 On
that day where they are sheltered from
the elements. jEd can be comfortable.
Close these escits and where viii this
class Of men g. on Sundays" II this
law is rassCd, a real hardship is work
ed upon thgse homeless hard-wo.king
men
Then, too, the law is class legisla-
tion, for 1t does not close the private
club rooms. If a man has sufficient
means, he can join the clubs, common
to every city, can play pool or billiards
smoke, and for that matter even get
liquors on Sundays in a large percent
age Of them This class of men, too,
usually have homes, or at least are so
housed that they can occupy their
rooms Sundays and be comfortable in
them. In other words the proposed
law would deprive those who really
need a place in which they can be
comfortable on Sundays, while per-
mltting those who do not need them
the full enjoyment Of the same priyI-
leges.
II is claimed that in the larger cities
these pool rooms are made headQuar-
ters by the criminal class Admitting
this TO be true, It should at least be
an aid 10 the police In locating them
bu, II It is true, II is at most only a
meeting place, for It is not even assert.
ed that the pool rooms create the Grim
inals, and who knows but the very
fact Of being cold and homeless has
created many Of them II the fact thai
criminals meet In them Is sufficient
reason for abolishing them, how about
the legislature? The lobbles Of the
legislatures are the meeting placeg of
rome Of the gmaucst and greatest
criminals in the country criminals
who would # they could. rob all the
people, instead Of an individual or two,
yet that ls no reason for abolishng the
legislature, or at lcast no more cogcnt
reason than ro~ abolishIng the poll
rooms.
The law also applies to moving pic
t1rC shows which q another Of It's bal
features 'rhc moving pictures as q
rulc teach good moral lessons, and
furnish harmless amusing and in
ctructyo entertainment People can.
not be made moral by law, but COM
fort and harmless amusement and en-
tcralnmonts are conducive to morals,
not iuimlcal to them
Tho pool rooms are the poor mans
clubs, the picture shows about his
s-------'s---s--'----.--