The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-04-12
THE CARNIVAL GRAFT.

7 IKE pretty much every one else The Evanine Herald IS cnthusi-
~ fof e~sefyfhing the Legion wants or does. criticisn 81 the earn
issl which nan in Albuquerque last week under The auspices Of the
local chapter Of the Legion Is in no way a criticism Of The American
Legion: because nearly every large popular organisation has at ono
time or another been induced BY the shave advance agents Of these
aggrepatons 20 take on a show, to advance a guarantee and to
protect with its influence a graft that operates wholly upon the well
known principle Of heads win. tails Won loss
Because fhe LEGAL American Legion post had contracted TO bring
this particular carnival here The Herald gf The week pass without;
comment upon the character Of the alleged amnsetnert enterprise
We felt that since the Legion was sim 10 the extent Of presenting
the carnival Under lis influential auspices, the hegicn should have
every chance 10 get ont y We hope they did. We doubt IT,
Now that this carnival is gone and ihr finances Of the American
Legion cannot be further hurt, we are going to express the hope
that the city commission will al is next meeting do what IL should
have done before the carnival was 'sened ups' That Is, pass an
ordinance which viii forbid the appearance Of any such alleged
amusement enterprise within the corporate limits Of Albuquerque
There hasr heen sal good cernivai companies. Nat Reis
ran snch a company and asganized i here for several seasons heSs
managed = carnival in the carly days Of the game, when some effort
was made 20 give amusemen; for the money. when the shows were
clean and the enterprise was not wholly graft. But men Of the Rets
type have long since abandoned the carnival game. and so have all
genuine amusement features. This one we have just had here IS
notable for Us complete freedom from anything that might be classed
as worth while amusement.
The editor Of The Evening Herald last week started to enter one
Of the carnival shows which was labelled on the outside as
Hawaiian Dancing. A clean cut young American Legionary pro
tested that. the show was not fit 20 see. Ikea good soldier he was
standing at his posi- keeping count on the gate" But he didnt
ytnt the money under false pretenses. We took the warning and
STAYED out Of that particular show. We saw the rest. Aside from a
wrestling match in which a clever local wlrsler furnished all the
action. there was not a feature Of this aggregation wortlra dime OF
any person money, even at ioiay's purchasing power of the ten
cent coin
II is difficult TO estimate how much money this aggregation
packed out Of Albuquerque. /. is certain that several thousand dol
lars went into The ynrious games Of chance in which the reward 10
the occasional winner was a composition DOH which melted in a
sweaty hand.
Three men. alleged 10 have been attached 10 this carnival, were
in Jail TODAY. One Of these is said to have lured a l3year-old girl
into an alleged immoral situation. Two others are alleged To have
induced two Albuquerque girls TO bob" their hair and hide IN rolls
az canvass on the carnival train, 10 be taken 10 the next stopping
place. At least one act Of grand larceny was committed during the
mast week. II is impossible TO say that II was committed. by any FOL
iower of this show There were more prisoners IN the city jail Sat
,rdav and Sunday than for amy week end since the local saloons were
closed. u Is impossible 10 assert that this condition was due to the
carnival II is worth noting that al Of these events occurred sinful
taneously with the presence Of the carnival.
Members Of The American Legion have expressed dissatisfaction
with the action Of the city government in charging a license of SW
per day for this show. We agree with The American Legion. Hay
ing permitted the license for this show TO issue, at the behest of thc
Legion. the city government should have permitted the Legion ia
get all the Farming out Of IL that was possible. The mistake the city
government made was in permitting the thing to happen at all.
Sunday morning after this outfit had folded It's tents and beat
IL To- the next hick-vllape victim, il was necessary 10 order out city
teams and wurknen and clean the whole district surrounding the
Elks club. The district over an area Of several blocks looked very
much like the geographical center Of a putrid garbage dunn.
II there Is any merchant. bank, professional man or business in
sdiuion Of any kind hfAibuquerque that is a dollar better off be-
cause If the presence OF this carnival outfit here, we respectfully
invite such individual or institution to rise and he counted. Those
vino In r0rSeo off because IL has been here need not rise. They can
lie listed without additional information.
First class towns do not permit this KIND of grating any longer
The city owes il TO Institutions like the American Leeon aud other
popular organizations. to protect them fren. this sort Of imposition.
Certainly such protection is due the city rs a whole.