The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-03-17
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
BY Hazel Brunnon

BY Hazel Bronnon
The debate now going on in the
congress is extremely important
to every American and especially
to unborn generations in this
country.
Unlimited debate in the con-
gress is one of the strongest safe
guards of our liberty and a bull
wark against tyranny in high
places of government.
The members of the Truman
Democratic party who would
stifle debate r the very ones
who would suffer most in the un-
likely event of having their way.
Mr.. Truman is doing the coun-
try a grave disservice by trying to
cram the Civil Rights program
down the threats of an unwilling
congress.
Some think he is more to be
pitied than condemned, however.
He is in the position of heir to
the Roosevelt liberal tradition.
But Mr.. Roosevelt only talked
about Civil Rights - never doing
anything about it.
Mr.. Truman arrived on the
scene at a time when some real
action was called for from the
highly organized minorities in the
country - more than lip service.
The Black Fish Lake gambling
casino in Arkansas has been raid
ed by the Arkansas State police
under specific instructions from
Governor Sid McMath. Its OPP
orators were arrested and a large
amount of gambling equipment
seized.
This resort has long been a
thorn in the side of Memphis citi-
zens who realize that the best in
terest of the public is not served
in allowing places like Black Fish
Lake to remain open.
1t is encouraging to see the
governor of one of our nearby
states take the lead in trying to
stamp out gambling joints - long
recognized as a public menace in
any community regardless OF size.
From widespread reports. over
the state Mississippi has more
than its share of such places. May
be it wouldn't be such a bad idea
for Hon. Fielding l.. Wright to
follow suit.
The Commercial Appeal, COM
menting on the raid, says:
Governor McMath has made it
plain repeatedly that he will not
tolerate organized vice. His record
as the former vigorous prosecutor
of Garland county when he clean
ed out and closed up the Hot
Springs gambling joints proved
that he means just what he says.
Had the Black Fish Lake opera
tors been smart they would have
closed the day Governor McMath
took office or else st. Francis
county law enforcement officers
would have compelled them to
close.
THE latter cannot claim that
the states chief executive gave
them no opportunity, He waited
three weeks in order to give them
a chance. When they did not
move, he did. The immediate re-
suits are pleasing to all decent
minded citizens in Eastern Ark
ansas and elsewhere. They will
be even more pleased if it means,
as it should, that the Black Fish
Lake resort has gone out of bust
ness permanently.
Dives such as it has been have
no place in any well-ordered re-
gion or community, nor is there
any validity in the argument that
people have a right to gamble in
such a place if they can afford it.
No society or community can af-
ford the type of ''recreational'
facilities Black Fish Lake offered,
for. stripped of their veneer and
plush furnishings. they are mere
ly ugly breeding places for crime,
an Indictment to crime and an at
traction to criminals. The poten-
TALLY for tragedy is great wher-
ever they are permitted to oper-
ate.
How much misery and crime
has resulted from the years of
Black Fish Lake resort operation
can never be estimated.
Two Memphians now serving
prison terms for embezzlement of
large sums admitted they lost
most of the money in the dive. It's
attraction for criminals was prov
ed in 1916 when a band of armed
hoodlums cleaned it and its pa
irons to the reported tune Of
500, 600. There probably would
have been a killing had the vic
tins even limited at resistance.
Murder and suicide are the Turk
ing shadows in every gambling
resort.
Now that they know that they