New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-04
Tbe Suppression of Gnml.iing.

The Suppression of Gnmltiimg.
Not less than Two Thousand Men have
for years procured subsistence while avoid
ing usefaI labor Of any sort in our City,
by following Gambling as a profession.
Some of them have been known as gen
tlemen, and, even when they can no lon
ger maintain the character in their own
eyes, are still careful to preserve its SEM
blanoe in the eyes of others. Some are not
yet prepared to steal except in the way Of
their vocation; others are ready for any
thing that will pay and does not seem peril
GUS. Yet none can doubt that those who
have kept corner of conscience go far are
parting with it little by little, and that the
genteel sportsman of one year is the unscru-
pulous sharper Of the next and the fore
doomed swindler if not burglar of some year
not far distant. Many q man becomes
professional gambler without being tho
roughly a scoundrel, but no one continues 9
gambler fer years without becoming
double.dyed villain. lie may still have
thin varnish Of what is falsely termed Hon
or-may hesitate to betray friend or COM
promise confederate, except under great
temptations but no thorough gambler has
any respect for the dignity of Man nor the
purity of Woman-no gambler is restrained
by principle from being libertine or even
a seducer-no gambler strives, desires or
hopes to leave the world any better for his
having lived in it. The gaming-table is To-
Gated halfway between the fashionable
drinking saloon and the brothel--those who
frequent the fret are generally drawn on to
the second and finish their training at the
third, whence they merge debased in soul,
renegades from principle, and ready for any
lower deep which depravity may discover.
The master-spirits of the Gambling frater-
nifty are the ready eontrivers and promoters
of every species of indignity and crime.
Of the Gamblers of this City, some are
humble auxiliaries and receive but small
portion of the general gains; others are
unskillful and unlucky; but nearly all are
prodigal when they can be, and many of
them are abundantly able to crafty their
tastes and appetites to safety. Their
houses, their horses, their women, their sup
pers are Of the most expensive sort they
make thousands rapidly and spend them
without stint. On the whole, we think
Four Millions Of Dollars moderate esti-
mate for the amount of money annually OBJ
tanned by professional gamblers, dealers in
lottery policies, &c. from their customers in
this City alone.
Ifthore were nc losers by this nefarious bu-
siness but those who played, its aspectwould
be less odious. The fool who soill put down
his money on gamblers table, has nomore
chance to win dollar than he wonld have
to reach the top of the White Mountains by
setting sailin tub from Castle Garden. He
may be permitted to win little at first, or
even occasionally aferward, in order to
throw dust in his eyes but Of all the money
ever laid down ona regular gamblers table,
ninety-nine dollars in every hundred has
gone into some professional gamblers pocket,
and always will go there. The dealer-no
matter with what-can win two dollars Of
every three if he choose. and he generally
chooses. lie may play the hooked gudgeon
a little, but he is sure to land him at last
And while the winnings are often lost en-
the board by seine clerk, they are lost out of
the drawer by his employer. Notmore than
half the money won BY gambling really
belonged to those who staked il, Nearly
every case Of defalostion by officers of the
Government, of Banks, Railroads, &c. may
be traced directly to losses atthe gaming-ta-
bic. And thousands are annually lost thus
while no suspicion is excited, until at last
flight bankruptcy or suicide exposes the
guilty and astounds the unsuspecting,-
The business men Of this city alone, might
well pay One Million Dollars per anuum to
be shielded from losses by gambling, of