People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1895 — Some Local Strictures. [ARTICLE]

Some Local Strictures.

Editor People’s Pilot: Recent events make it pretty clear that Jasper county needs a “Civic Federation,” a “Good Citizens League” or some organized to enforce not, some single statue, but all the laws that are violated. The laws against gambling illegal sale of liquors, prostitution and the violation of the Sunday statute needs enforcement very badly. The gambling fraternity are running things just now. There are a number of pretty well dressed men in Rensselaer who “Toil not neither do they spin.” Yet we do not hear of their being prosecuted b.y their tailors nor their landlord. How many games of poker are run by them few people know. Who rents those rooms for the purpose. The “Bucket Shop” is another gambling institution and is contrary to law. The man with a wheel, is no more a gambler than the races at the stock farm, run formoney. The boy in the back alley playing marbles for keeps is the horse racer and poker player in miniature. The parade of Rensselaer Wilkes with a brass band was a disgrace, to The “Old Settler’s Meeting” last week was a sham to get the people out to attend and honor the races at the Rensselaer stock farm. There were a good many nice and innocent people there but the “benefit” was for the sporting fraternity, both male and female.

The demoralization of the young men and women of the town and vicinity by such things are incalculble. They even had tue “gall” to invite the school children. It is a shame and should not be tolerated. Any one who opposes the saloon or gambling interest in the community is characterized as a crank a fool and a hypocrite. Let the people stand together against all of those things without regard to party politics or church or creed and assist the prosecutor in all ways they can and the evils may be greatly lessened. Yours Truly. A Crank. Taken up—Small bay mare, 10 or 12 years old, white star in forehead, foretop trimmed, shod all around. J. H. Carr, 31 miles west and 1 mile south of Rensselaer.