Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1940-12-14
Capital Gossip
BY HENRY AVERlLL-

| IQlGlSll, lIGC. 1f.-lli tIIS SosNiiiS
passing the buck" developed from
| the current slot machine scandal at
least one player seems to have PICK
j ed up and handed along DUCK
! which didn't even belong TO HIM.
In fact, there is some doubt that
| Attorney General Harry McMuilan
really qualified for the game at all
much less that he was so deeply III
it us to shove the buck along 10 Gov
/ ernor Clyde r. Hoey, as he trleo sc
hard to do in his statement that
nothing happened in Cumberland
county after an Investigation IN April
because the governor was unwilling
10 go into it at that time.
So far as your Raleigh reporter IS
aware nobody thought the attorney
general was remiSS in failing 10 or
der prosecutions. That sort of thing
isn't among the uutes with which he
is charged under Tar Heel law; and
until Mr.. Mcmillan stuck his neck
out by explaining nothing he wasn't
in the least obligated to explain,
there was little talk about his part
in the affair.
AS for the governor, his defense is
that there was no reason Tor nm 10
take action. The so-called "lnVestl-
cation" by the SBI was nothing more
or less than recording on note
paper of facts which everybody who
had been in Cumberland knew of his
own personal knowledge. Any school
child could have testified that one
armed bandits were running openly
and in brazen defiance Of the writ
ten law. though apparently in close
connivance with lis human agents.
The governor was told it would re-
quire so highway patrolmen to make
the needed raids. He declined be-
cause he has fixed policy never to
detail the roads guardians to routine
local police duty. He has taken them
off their regular jobs only in cases
where violence was threatened and
where public order had TO be main
tanned.
AS the delightful pastime of buck
passing goes on, however, it is quite
possible to perceive some facts about
which there can be not the slightest
possible dispute.
CD Judge Henry Stevens, who re-
quested the SBI investigation and
who received q report of its results,
could have deputized just as many
persons as he thought necessary to-
make any raids or arrests.
60 The Fayetteville and Cumber-
land county officers could have
broken up the whole works within
two hours any time they wanted to.
60 The people Of Fayetteville and
Cumberland could have forced their
Offices to do th'..r duty, or could
have klcNed them out, if they had
wanted 10.
1t is equally clear that the Cen
eral Assembly of 1889 must shoulder
some blame for the situation, too.
Anybody who listened to the debates
preceding adoption OF the slot section
Of the revenue bill could prophecy
and many did--eNactly what would
happen. Most Of those who voted for
the section did SO with the utmost
sincerity Of purpose, but there were
evidences of deliberate aim to so
muddle the slot machine statutes that
nobody would know what kind
would be legal and what kind illegal.
June Rose, immediate past depart
ment commander of the American
Legion, says that at the Blues
Bowl" game he attended in Mem
phis this week, there was actually
footing and shooting" going on.
While w. c. Handy, author Of the
Memphis (and many other) Blues,
was playing his brain child on sill
yer trumpet, Rose says he saw one
Negro shoot another.
I've always wanted to see what
goes on in Beale street." he told your
reporter. Il saw plenty for my
money, too, and I wouldn't have
missed it for anything"