The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-07
. Q 90 %e@ oec 30 . . 4
PUBLIC OPINION
) . o y . 9 . . o . . . o 8 .
Rev. Sanders Statement.

To the Editor of The Gate City:
1t has just come to my notice that
it is being reported around the city
that had made an attack upon the
various social clubs of the city, call
ing them dens of vice and iniquity.l
The statement is absolutely false. II
have made no such attack, either pub
licly or privately. The man who start
ed the report simply lied and he knew
and he circulated the report believe I
to put the present movement in dis /
favor with the members of the social !
clubs of the city.
We wish to correct any false i'm.
preston that such report may have
made upon any of the members Of the
social clubs of the city. have not
either in public or private referred
to the social clubs, even in the remot-
est way.
The fact is only three evils of the
city have been referred to in my pub.
lie addresses: The illegal sale Of
liquor, public gambling, and the social
evil and these were referred to in
order to show up the incompetency
and negligence Of the present city Of
ficials.
| In the present movement we are
not after the social clubs, the legalized
saloon, bootlegging Joints, gambling
houses, or the houses of prostitution.
| We are after three men-the present
city commissioners who are respon-
sible for the disgraceful, unbearable
and appalling conditions now existing
in the city.
These officials have been shame
fully derelict in the performance Of
their official duties. They have failed
to enforce the laws of the state and
the ordinances Of the city, regulating
the evils complained of and have re-
i fused to enforce the laws even when
urged to do so by private citizens.
And through their negligence and in
competency, we as city have been
u disgraced, Inundated and made by.
word and laughing stock of intelligent
citizens of other well-goyerned cities.
Il Why should we be SO disgraced, SO
Inundated, or why should we bear
/, longer the reproach Of official incom-
potency and negligence? These Of
J ficials have known for months OF the
. we'll nigh universal dissatisfaction Gre
, ated by their official negligence. They
!, have known of the criticisms and they
knew of the petition Of recall that Is
now being circulated.
But in the face OF all these things
and In defiance of public sentiment
, these officials permit the evils COM
, planned Of to continue. These officials
2 should remember that they are not
our masters, but our servants. They
, wanted their official positions, they
sought them with whole heart. We
, elected them, we pay their salaries
and we furnish the money for all i'm.
provements made In the city, and by
common rule the world over we have
; the right to give orders and the right
, to demand that our orders shall be re.
spected.
There is not a shadow of an excuse
that can be offered in behalf of the
officials and there is not shadow OF
an excuse that can be offered in be
:, half Of any loyal patriotic citizen for
:, refusing to sign the petition of recall
, The petition OF recall has been put
. into the hands of private citizens by
the state to protect themselves from
incompetent, negligent and unworthy
officials who may prostitute their high
;, office or offices for reasons politica
:, or financial.
!. If ever an outraged citizenship had
, = good grounds for invoking the recall
the citizens of Keokuk have The city
officials have no one to blame bu,
themselves. They have compromised
so long with the lawless element In
the city, that they could not now en-
force the laws, even though they de
t sired to do so. But we have no idet
y that they ever thought of doing so
The cry has gone out wait until the
o spring election'---that will be the OPP
t perfume time to correct the evils com
planned of, but that cry is misleading
# and gives no surety that we shall have
d any relief from present conditions
a The political slate is now being mad,
I'D and when the politicians have tht