Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-13
RICHMOND wHIG.
roR TEE RICHMOND WIG.
GAMBLING AND GAMBLERS.
uIc's CoRRrspo,Drsr W. NJ:

/ OF proof, as you did whom you branded France ana
Germany with national ufdely, and declared that f-
male gambling had been put down. and when you deny
facts nsusceptibs of refutation you did when you
denied that gambling is "pet passion of the mioa,
you excite in my mind the suspicion that you young
aud reckless: and inasmuch you have drawn your
blade on the side of the gamblers find vague spectral
fears creeping into my bosom that that dlbocs spsu.
that has charmed and ruined many promising young
men, by making them gamblers, is about TO throw over
your brilliant genius its fatal spell. Forbid X HeaTen
The splendid intellect with which bss endowed
you hAs carried or my heart captivity, and canros
rssist the inclination Of my ardent temperament to COM
muno with you afsctionately and frankly. Aud let
commence by implorng you to your fac and your
pan against gambling. II you play and lose you'll ba
nicknamsd BOBBY, and il you play aud vnlyou'l be
suspected scouudreL Always when you hse you
will pay your losses aud often when you win tou will
never collect your winnings. You will often lave to
play with whose vulgar exultation when they beat
you will dsgus. you, and whose terrific profanity when
you belt them mus. shock you. The excitement gam.
bling produces is NATURAL therefore the result upon
your physical condition clnno! be saluary. While play
ing you will often have TO breathe the eted atmosphere
of close ROOM and forfeit that re9ose and exercise
necessary health happiness and longevity the sequel
OF which is almost certain be shattered constitution,
premature old age and iguounious grave This
sci should have given you but for the fact that
have taken fancy to you, and you know "ou! Of the
abundance Of the heart the mouth speakeh," aud bu;
for the additional fact that this opposition of yours to
licensing gambling amounts not only to an advocacy Of
gambling, but TO Ynd;cAton of the very lowest and
blsesG class of gamblers. | have aready told you
that yonr sentiments this subject popular, and
that mine unpopular, among the gamblers; and sir
this i literally true. There in New Osea about
lO gambling establishments, and when they we're ced
upon not long slncr to for aud aglinst licensing
gambling, but two houses voted for it, Put the sam
question before the giublers Of Richmond tomorrow
ald they will vote down by overwhelming majority
Tae day your article appeared the Wing ia unusuA
demand among the gamblers, aud, have heard re-
peatedly suee they profo undly delighted with the
signal ability With which you Tended their interests
"Who Is W. NJ :" "HuzzI for W. N. ~ '"W. Ms the
man foe my money" the kind Of compliments that
freely lyished upon you that day in the grogshops
tdGas parouse and your hes lh drunk thousand
and one times NY dear sir un the JOY Of the jewellers
put to sleep by the potency Of their pOtaons and
il you to visit the city to- morrow, and that fact
should become kaoEn to them they would be certain
serenSde you they did not IL upon you in body
and tender you a supperf Would you accept IL /
hope not. 10 truth cannot bring: myssf TO reaiza-
ton Of the fact that between you aud them there s any
collision. Nay, scorn to Relieve Il; aud chserfdly
rerlct the mpuation made agaius: you in the nsEua-
ton that you had drawn your bis ie the side Of the
gImblers; aud while deplore the result will Goquit
you Of the motive, and il you are Innocent, my
soul believe you are, Of any thing esembng friendly
purpose toward the spOrtng geuhy you viii be at loss
70 divine the OF your sudden an marvellous pOpu.
arity emong that class, Proceeding hen, upon the pre-
sumption that you innocent Of the desire and gnor
ant Of the cause of your popularity, will With allcry
explain to you. Then, sir, you must know that gam
bling like all other avocations, is pursued ny two dis
tine. classes of men. One class and It is much the
largest. are, in their moral status very little above
thieves and cut.thrOats They occupy the sane leve
with highwsymen, Jome respects, and fall infinitely
below them in others. They have their cunning and
their cupidily, bu they lack their courage and thc
p ehivilry
They have In their faro boxes what called snakes
aud drugged liquors on their sideboards. They dea
marked cards and turn for money than If they
lose they could pay. They have in their employment
"pensoned pimps," who ghL think, he more pro
perIy designated human sOr gh hounds whose business
it is to hunt down "old suckers" and "young gres-
horns" for customers aui then they have hired "cap
p,rsn who, when the Gu s.omcr is rOped starts the
game" In the larger cii es Il is said that their
are full Of ssasation tn ps which, when they SO, e
phiEiug, viii involun tarly attract attention, duFirE
which moment the sile partners Of the concern, who
at their post makef clean sweep Of all the checks
lying about looss-sni this Is the class my dear sir
who thrown into ecstacies by your able article
License gambling and you seal up herme.icay forever
the faro boxes Of all ch thevrg scounisls The
they cannot pay The ond they cannot give aud there
fore their houses the cannot open. And these vhc
could aud would pay tax and give tho bond would
necessarily become oce to enforce ths law, whom
those who violated IL could eude, but no such
police would ever be ,edod if it we're made Ough
to be, felony visit and bet in ua!epsscd esab
ishment You attenI ted to una ks an MsyAeni aboat
such provision anou nting to restriction upon huau
liberty, in tha. it GIT requ C Aman to walk rid,
farther than might be agreeable TO bis feelings to fad
licensed establishment. IL was bad enough in you "a
Offer such a Statement for arg Were TO giv
il the attention of ST. Oali become fl; sub
eci, not for the sport Of laught r. but the charity o
commisseration.
But there Is another class of atablers entitled to
place in this picture It is tina, c who in favor
Masking cheating aud swindling in gambling houses feo
nies, and who aro also 10 favor waking gambling
source Of revenue to the govern n.nt Among then
arc to be foand gentlemen occup yiag frm and big
position in private aud public conf deace One OF then
represented a large Southern oil st Cincinnati whe
Buchanan nomiuAted in 80 an stCharleston 10 GC
when tho Convention failed to axe nomination.
From the acqlantances of that &c ndeNsu have learn
ed the fact that he wieIds as niue mOr1 influence
home q any other unpr stending private citizen, an
thu! be has given more ouey build churches and ri
eve the poor within the last ten years than any oths
p one man on the contnen t. CIV ar.r .I
7, .he etv of Apgr,at a, +ho,. rea;dss goub,a,