Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-23
CAN GAMBLING BE sUPPRE ;SEDS
BuCHAsAS, BorErCUsr Co., Va.


To hi Eiitr 9th Wig:
The second letter Of "Ecskine opens with the sngu
lar slough no, seriously meant intimation, that an
favorable to the gambler but as he retracs this at once
will look Immediately at his declaration tha. the gam.
bers favorable my plan and against his. And
first le me say that If "Erskne" heard them express
Themselves thus friendly to my proposal, Of
AN bound to believe bw but II he did not himself hear
their words afraid he is speaking from such
information as he had when he stated positively that
'beiore the flood Chance god At whose feet mil
lions vorshipped." His friends have soothed him b,
telling him this and BY believing them, he has exhibited
credulity, only Cqualed by his vacancy Of logic. His
friends could not have heard the gamblers express them
selves repeatedly in my favor, because "Ersknes
associates cannot be the associates Of gamesters 70 hear
them speak much one subject, "Erskine" himself
certainly would not 90 among them to listen TO their
speeches. His unpopularity among thOm, Of which ie
tells u.s. would certainly prevent their unburdening them
selves in his presence and thus furnishing him with
argument against them. If they did express themselves
as agains. legal gaming houses is it impossible either ii
Richmond or New Orleans tha; such men, 10 order to
gain their object should have made opposition to the
plans Are they incapable of such ruse' No one car
think that they Nothing is easy than such
supposou. II they opposed to such law in New
0teaus what is natural when they did keep Their
10 establishments sithoia paying any taI' Ga thes
grounds suspect that the real preference of the gam
blers for my plan his Is somewhat of the nature OF
AL hypothesis which would be good il true, but not be
ing a sound one, s nothing worth. How, indeed, Mr..
Editor can these unhappy men be favorable to the.aw,
which would have pissed in regard to themf ltvoud
not allow any public gaming house for them to hequen',
and IL they gained 10 such establishments eIis
they would be sent to the psne;entiary. Pass law
making gambling anywhere, felony, and instead Of
these paying, they nov do, fne some yearsin
generation would be thS penalty. Could anything lie
more obvious than tho proposition, that the the
punishment the greater the probability that will
be deferred from thi commission Of the unlawful
acts 'Etskine's" Law would open houseI, where ali
gamblers can CO. aud game freely The Law recommend
would ,hui up all the gambling dens in the State, on
pain Of the Ssate prison. for term Of years. Il kept in
any manner. What ia there in this prospect so yer,
pleasing 10 g,mestersY What can gamblers want with
Law which, instead of inacting pecuniary mulct,
nov, would deprive them Of personal hb,rty for pro
tracted period AB for tho lover css Of these pesti
lential knaves WHOSE trad, "Erskine" would legaize
does he really believe is he so little acquainted with the
world and the history Of Courts aud lcenses a. to
believe that these men could not unite lay numbsr OF
thom) and pay the tax requisite to keeping OF his
lawful gaming places, to believe that the
in the community cannot get somebody TO 60 their
curity number Of men, forming company, cary
on tho eg,liz gambling houses ia Baden.BIden, why
could no. Il company Of gamestcrs, even Of the worst
SORT op,n and pay the tax lawful gaming place in
Richmond, Why could not these vast numbers Of
found in the land il their foul work Ia made
lawful form companies pay the and fill the pureus Of
Richmond with their vile houses whils the Wealiher
robbers have more elegant "hel," Main Street, Al
Broad? Why does not "Erskine" trembe at such Q
thought and grow pale at such prospect, instead Of
devong himself he ,es, to the promotion Of 30
terrific an otectH As to the belief OF this writer,
gaming is licensed the practice viii become conseisn-
tioua and We shall new generation Of honest gam
blors who would not cheat for the world the idea simply
excites wonder Does "Ecskne" really know what kind
Of world he Is ing Has he read the account Of the
"German Hel," in the IFhig Of January 10 by As
a, Que reads this argument for lawful gambling houses
sth this idea he Is reminded Of the band in J
rusiom who joined the Inflated Absalom and went forth
Gin their simplicity, and kaep no. dnyhng"
But, Mr. litor, We have been made acquainted with
some fascinating characters in the form Of gambers BY
the author of these letters to ms of gsnius
literary culture, Gae address, and oolloquia powers