The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1918-12-07
ANSWERED IN FULL; AND
GLAD We WERE ASKED
The Editor Of The News Explains Fully
the Ennctlng of the New Mexico
Anti-Gnmbiing Law

Anti-Gambiing Law
So says The Citizen: we can ask
questions also, that are hard to an
swer. We want TO ask Senator G.. c.
Smith, editor of The Clayton News, just
why he voted as he did on repeating
the strigent gambling law i'm force in
this state, IL he is so anx Gus to stamp
gambling out of tho county?"
While we have not been officially in
formed, we would naturally believe
from the above query that the editor
of our contemporary had just returned
from another trip to the planet Mars
where more valuable information had
been gathered on how to run the good
old U. S. A. Now listen, and don't get
nervous while we give you the answer
in a nut shell. First let us quote from
the Senate Journal, page 256:
Third Reading of BiIIsi
"On motion of Mr.. Kaseman, (repub-
lcan floor leader) under suspension Of
the rules, House Bill No. 139: An Act
to prohibit gambling, was taken up for
immediate consideration and read the
third time in full Committee amend
ments read and adopted. Mr.. Kaseman
moved that the bill, as amended, do
now pass. Roll call was az follows:
Ayes: Messrs Baird, Barth, Bryant,
Calisch. Dunlavy, Esquibel, Gallegos,
Gordon, Kaseman, Kerr, Lea. A. " Lu-
cero, Mcdonald, Mersfelder, Mirabal,
Murray Reinberg, Salazar, Sanchez,
Skeen, Smith, and Tully-22.
Nays: None.
Not voting: e. Lucero.
THE vote being in the affirmative
the President declared House Bill No.
1s9. as amended. to have passed the
Senate"
CHAPTER 10.
AN Act To Prohibit Gambling.
III b. No 139; Approved March Is,
1917.
BE it enacted by the Legislature of
the State of New Mexico:
Section THAT any person who for
money or anything of value, conducts
or operates any game of chance. by
whatsoever name known or howsoever
played. or who knowingly permits any
such game to be so conducted upon
premises of which he is the owner, les
see or occupant, upon conviction there
of shall be punished by a fine of not
more than FIVE hundred dollars or by
imprisonment for not more than six
months, or both such fine and impris-
onment
Section 2.-Sections 1857 and 1853 of
the 1915 Codifcation of the New Mex
leo Statutes and all othe~ laws and
parts of laws in conflict herewith are
hereby repealed"
Now, the above is a correct record of
the vote by the Senate, and the bill in
full. 1t will be remembered also that
this bill originated in the House, and
was introduced by a republican leader.
1t was called up in the Senate by the
republican floor leader. Prominent at
torneys explained the meaning of the
proposed gambling bill For the infor-
nation of The Citizen we call their at
tention to the fact that the penaly of
the new gambling law is far greater
than that of the old one. 1t will be re-
membered that under the old gambling
law women were not permitted to have
social card games at their homes, and
several of the good women of this state
urged the repeal of the old gambling
law for this reason. 1t will also be re-
membered that Judge Leib upheld the
intent of the legislature and punished
the gamblers of Clayton. However, the
supreme court reversed the decision of
Judge Leib. II is also significant that
Rev. A. V. Lucero, minister Of the
gospel, voted on this gambling bin Just
the same as did the editor OF The News
Governor Lindsey. the Citizens gover-
nor, signed the bill, and without his
signature It could not have become
law.
We are willing to admit that our
gambling law is not perfect. and we
wish to assure the editor or The Citi-
zen, as well as our readers, that the
editor of The News will introduce at
the next session of the les stature. and
work for its passage, an act to prohibit
gambling that will prohibit. It was the
News and not the Citizen that turned
on the searchlight and paved the way
for the clean up in Clayton that hap
pened last week. 1t was the News and
not the Citizen that caused an uneasy
round in the sheriff's chair to warp and
crack, that lead to the arrest of bunch
of alleged bootleggers. 1t was the News
and not the Citizen that urged the City
Board to pass an ordinance to prohibit
bootlegging in the town of Clayton. 1t
was the editor Of the News and not any
of the bunch supported by the Citizen
that voted against donating to one o.
A. Larrazolo $500 for doing nothing.
Anything else?