The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-11-02
FARMoNT. PAL
OUR MORAL BLIGHT
IAN Editorial.)


to the primary election in June became apparent that
~ bootlcggng going in Fairmon and other in
the county The evil increased rapidly and when
looked about them in search Of suppress it they dis
covered to their thorough disgust that this particularly often
sve form OF jacka awlessness being protected by
method the less effective because was implied ar
rangemen rather than of the clumsy which
usually entered into by the bcnearies of commerzed
and crime and officers of the law found that county
officers who charged with the duty of enforcing laws
had adopted "hands off, policy while people prominently
identified with Gang in Marion county took advan-
age OF techncae in the laws and by personally the
bonds of bootcge procuring others become bondsme
saved from condgn punishment such offenders unucy
enough to be arrested in spite of the immunity which those
gagged in the illicit traffic enjoyed The appealed
and that appears be the end of the far as the
courts concerned
speedily became known that this effective arrangement ex
stcd The word passed i'll circles where matter
OF interesting that Famon wide OPEN and the eff
feet apparent Drunken and co,,rtesns began
to appear the streets in such numbers attract the
ton OF the needless Rlmors that gambling going
with little attempt conccalment the rounds
and those with inclination play experienced trouble
in finding places where they could crafty their gaming pas
At first smiled when the subject for discussion
Many of them agreed that c boys would have be given
little rope election time But finally the smiles disappear
cd. The boys had taken much rope be hand
Several sections of the city became moral plague spots The
Mayor and the Prosecuting Attorney publicly confessed their
inability cope with the situation and the white who be-
by shielding bootleggcrs found themselves in position
where they had take orders FROM and become lackeys for
blacks whose awes acts make their in the
mny offcnsc Fairmont wide open with vengeance
For all practical purposes community which prdes itself upon
its culture and the intelligence Of its people being
from the city hail. yet from the Watson building
the dives Jackson street And every knew -incud
ing girls of tender years going to the public schools.
For this humiliation this 10 the moral welfare of the
coming generation Farmont and Marion county indebted
to the intellectual poverty and moral oblquy of Gang govern
There may people and the county
will be cleaned up after the election but be
unless there sweeping changes among city and county Off
Those in office have surrendered the vicious
ment. All experience municipal government this country
indicates that such abdcaton of moral police authority
is rrevocablc. Try may this community will
its steps until there is thoroghgoin houscclcanin.
the Court house and in the City hail.
And if that housekeeping does all the ground
gained by the splendid campaign for state wide prohibition
will he lost For weeks factory have been complain
ing that the drink evil has become than when
had saloons Men losing time because of drunkenness
the quality of their work detcroratng. Worse yet mere
boys yielding to the temptation which OF provides
becoming wisky addcts and danger growing up to
became public charges
This condition which susceptible of proof any time and
practically any establishment where considerable number
of and boys employed puts the question they
going vote the county ticket Tuesday sqarc
up every foe OF liquor and every friend Of clean government
Eternal vigilance the price of freedom from the destruction
of manhood and the debaucher of womanhood by LIQUOR The
county and the city governments have capulated BOOZE
booze in its most insdou and dcmorazng form. Are the
good people the city and county going condonc this
and continue the Gang office they going vote for
the Republican candidates."
This is not partisan question: 1t has nothing do with
tariff with the foreign policy Of the federal government
1t docs not touch the government Charleston 1t is
simply question of whether booze and vice clean citizen
ship shall rule in this county, whether boys shall be pro-
teced from body wcckng and soul destroying liquor and our
girls from contact with brazen underworld or abandoned to
their fate in community that is contemplate so devoid of
moral hbc that has given the struggle rule ITSELF
Tuesday will tell the tale And every has the right
to vote should remember that he has individual responsible
ity the matter When voting for county officers
he either vote for dccency the other thing There is
middle ground.