Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1914-10-24
AN OPEN LETTER
FROM GOVERNOR ODDIE
TO EMMIT BOYLE
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islature in 1913, when the extension of
the residence section of the divorce
law was pending, delegations of citi-
zens of Reno appeared before the
Legislature, with petitions containing
hundreds of signatures, urging the
passage of the bill On those peti-
tons were the names of the most
prominent men and women of Reno
including nearly the entire bar and
| professional men of the ely, besides
scores engaged in all kinds of pur-
suits If the divorce colony was a
good thing for Reno, why this over
whelming movement to abolish it
while the example was present?
The law went into effect the first
of the present year | am told by
many who claim to know that the ho-
tells, apartment houses and industries
of Reno are doing fully as good
business today as a year ago. That
/ tiiS iiiSl Nidhto oSll dDoul as llluSil
! goods and that there is hardly a va
cant house in the city That there is
more building going on in Reno right
now than at any previous time IN Its
history. That there are more public
school children enrolled there than
ever before. That the State Univer-
! sity has more students than any other
banner year This assuredly does not
look as though the prosperity OF Reno
was destroyed by the loss of the di-
vorce colony.
My observation of Reno during the
divorce era, was that many OF the
clerks in stores and much of the la
| Dor in other industrial lines was per
formed by Divorces, working at
cheap wages during their residential
period and depriving Nevada wage
earners of livelihood That while
many of those who came to Reno for
divorce were estimable people and of
exemplary character, large proper
ton of them exerted a mischevous
and corrupting influence.
1t was for these reasons that the
divorce law was amended at the de
mand of an incensed and outraged
people. Now, ten months after the
law went into effect, the pro-gambling
and pro-divorce advocates are united
in Reno and elsewhere, to ny to put
through at the next session of the
Legislature bills restoring wide-open
gambling and easy divorce. Moreover,
that those advocates are unitedly
supporting Mr. Boyle and quoting
his alleged neutral stand in the matter.
Reno cannot expect the people OF
Nevada to tax themselves to support
and build the University, and to send
their children there to be educated,
if the city proposes to offer an un-
wholesome and corrupting environ
ton. Once for all, Reno must choose
between gambling and divorce, on the
one hand, and the University on the
other. The two cannot flourish in
the same atmosphere Nor will the
people of Nevada stand for it.
Mr.. Boyle is graduate of the Uni
versity of Nevada That fact is car
rying great weight in his behalf in this
campaign In his keeping if elected
Governor, is not only the honor of his
State, but the honor of his alma mater.
Today, and until January |, 1915, at
least, the honor of the State of Ne
vada is in my keeping If | am to
turn this State over on that day to
successor, | want to turn 1t over to a
man, who will not, if in his power to
prevent, permit it again to be prosti-
tuted to the roulette wheel and easy
divorce. Nevada is living and pro
crossing today on her honest re
sources, mining, stock raising and ag
riculture, and on those she can build
a great commonwealth. That is her
true destiny as a State-and the lines
on which her grown, expansion and
prosperity must be founded. This is
the crucial issue in the campaign and
| cannot think there is any question
as to where the overwhelming ma
jority of voters STAINS.
Tasker L. Oddie.