Rogue River Courier

MAYOR SMITH MAKES
EMPHATIC PROTEST
Declares That He is Being Base-
ly Misrepresented by Anti-
Saloon Workers.

Mayor Smith takes exception to an article which appeared in the last issue of the Courier, the purport of which was, he declares, to make out that he was not doing his duty as Grants Pass' Mayor in the matter of enforcing the city ordinance which expressly states that the saloons shall not be kept open for business on Sunday.

He expressed himself in rather forcible language, as he talked about the 'gilded hypocrites in the churches, who dare not come out and make their charges openly, but sneak around and make these insinuating attacks' upon him.

He attributes much of the agitation to Mr. Hair, of the city council and he pays his compliments to that gentleman in a not very mild manner.

Mayor Smith emphatically says that he was not elected with the understanding that he was to enforce the Sunday closing ordinance. On the contrary he feels confident that the people who elected him did not want him to meddle with that matter.

He further avers that his oath of office does not state that he shall regard it as his duty to enforce the city ordinances.

'Why don't these hypocrites proceed about this matter as they should? If they will comply with the law and go before Recorder Clements and make out their complaints if they find any violations of the city ordinances. That's the way to go about it and if they really mean business, which I very much doubt, let them do as any law-abiding citizen has to do in such cases,' was the way His Honor put it.

He then took occasion to say that he gave Mr. Hair credit for much of this discussion and he said Mr. Hair had the power for six months, when he was acting Mayor to enforce this same ordinance, but that he did nothing whatever to have the places comply with the law. He even went so far as to say that Mr. Hair was to blame for the 'tin horn' gambling fakes which are here to fleece the people during the fair even though the city attorney had given a written opinion that it was in direct violation of the law governing such matters, all that the management of the fair might have more funds for use.' He reiterated this charge and frequently emphatically declared that Mr. Hair's oath of office was as far reaching as the one he himself took upon assuming the office of mayor and that Mr. Hair, while acting mayor, failed to do any more than he, (Mayor Smith) was now doing with regard to such matters.

Mayor Smith seems to rather want the people who are finding fault with his administration to come out in the open and make good their claims.

'If you can find one unlawful act I have committed since I became mayor you are at liberty to expose it,' said he and then he proceeded to again lambast the 'hypocrites who are causing him so much worry.