Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-07-23
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 3d. 1886

OF our opponents, whether II is any more crlm
nal, To license one evil than anolher' Why
moi license gambling Many persons would
like TO get such privilege, and would pay well
iorn. Ii revenue alone is the object, here is an
opportunity to provide one and that too, with
lar less extensive evil in H. The gambler may
lose all his properly --impoverish his family and
cheat all that viii trust him but, this will mai
deprive him Of reason, make him loathSome and
abusive to those he loves, or cause his death by
delirium lrenens. Gambling in comparison
with drunkenness is far less TO be feared We
believe II may be much more safely licensed,
and be much more guarded from abuse, and
consequently from the ruin of those who engage
in it, Than the sale of intoxicating liquors can
be and. one strong il fnot conclusive argument,
to prove this assertion. is fact known and uni
verSally acknowledged, which is, that the use
of intoxicating drink, is The great stimulous,
which alone prepares the gambler for his des
perate game :-lt is the very life of gaming !;
and, without its aid, it could not be carried on
TO any very alarming extent Who ever knew
a temperate gambler Public opinion is so
much opposed TO this vice in New ngand, that
any one, known as Black Leg" is almost
execraled. We rejoice that il is so, and are
anxious that the evil of inemperance should be
as well understood. II we license Billiard
Tables, and keep intoxicating liquors from be-
ing sold, would il not be much better for us 2
Would the young and inexperienced, be as
likely to frequent such places, and learn the art
Of destroying themselves, with the dishonest de-
sire of getting rich with another's money, as
they now do in frequentng our Taverns, Sa-
looms and Confectionares We say the num-
Der of gamblers, would be infinitely less, than
the number of drunkards now are, and there
fore, of the two evils we much rather license
gambling.
We could proceed with other illustrations
and comparisons, evils which are licensed in
Europe il not in our own country, for the pur-
pose of raising revenue for support of govern
ment, some of which are as revolving to decency
as they are disgraceiul to the powers which per-
mitS them to exist but ii is unnecessary fur
lher to allude to them, than to make good our
argument, that an EVIL, any thing that has ten.
deney to demOratize should never be permitted
| TO receive the solemn sanction of law, in a
christian country, at any price, however exor-
bilanf, and much less for the paltry sum Of fifty
dollars, the very highest price exacted for LII
cense to sell intoxicating drinks in this State,
for year.
! With these views to direct us, il will be seen,
that temperance men, TO be consistent, must
ever oppose the license system:-No sophiStry
will answer for an excuse. We know that the
use of alcohol as a beverage, is highly delete.
rious 10 our bodies, and we have reason to be.
lieve that il is even more fatal, to the best in.
lerests of the soul We do not believe it was
ever intended as such, by our wise and merci-
tul creator. We admit, it may sometimes be
used as medicine, although we seriously doubt,
if il may moi be superseded by something more
safe--somcthing less perncous and less decep-
tive.