Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-01-14

ted TO the Secretary of War, TINT oficar
very properly and promptly ordered the
room TO be seized for tho public use nm
me ground that it had no just protection in
Iay AS private domicil or as a place of le-
gltlmate business. We learn that this or
oer was suspended by the subordinate Off
Ger charged to execute it, on the first iut,-
nation that the party who was to be dis
gruntled was one of the gambling princes
OF lichmond. This fact, We believe, can
| DC distinctly proved; else we should NOT
have referred to it,
Tho people of this city must look for re-
lief from the,retgn of the gamblers to n
governmenE OF better morals than TINT of
the Contederacy. Inla few days the Legis-
iature Of Virginia meets, and no more ur
gent task OF reform claims its attention at
| this time thltn purgtng its capitol of n vice
that has poisoned the vitals of this COM
munlty and made Richmond the reudez-
yous of every harpy in the Confederacy.-
The only difficult part of the question is
tue mode of the remedy; for gambling is n
vice so closely embraced when it once
makes its insidious Introduction, and so
powerful and Ingenious in its defences that
1t is almost impossible to conquer it easily
or expeditiously.
But we believe there is remedy. Tho
|
IS not only that it puts on the vocation of
the gambler n burden of taxation that
must discourage it, but what is more i'm
Portant, that it throws his house open to
the public and destroys the secresy under
the temptations of which most men gamble,
We believe, however, that this last impor-
taut object may be effected by measure
quite as practicable as that of license, be-
sides being free from the odium of identi-
Tying the public revenues, in any manner.
with the wages of vice. This measure NAV
be perfected in the details of n law, which
VIII simply make all houses used for gamb-
ing subject to be entered at any time by
the police and municipal authorities, this
visitation to be made without the nccessi
" OF complaint, or warrant or any cere
mony whatever. Such law would at once
throw open all the gambling houses of
Richmond to the inspection Of the police
and the curiosity of the public. 1t would |
destroy that temptation OF seCresy which is |
the great snnre of the gambler. Ii |
would drive from the unearthed dens of |
wee all those who had any thought for their |
reputation and decent names in tho COM |
munlty and would leave the gambling |
table TO those small and impecuuious viii |
ialns and hardened black-Iegs who would |
not care To be seen at their vocations, As |
II is now, men can gamble without riskinr |
exposure to their family and friends, They |
can stink into these dens by pass keys, quite
sure that they will meet no one in there
but partners in vice, each interested in
Keeping the others secret, aud that the no. |
lice cannot get within the doors before they
ma hsys time to escape BY the back kBSSS oanSt
gamble with closed doors; that they are
open to observation, and we NAV be sure
that nothing more will be heard of mer-
chants and military men, and especially
such distinguished prey as dcac0ns and
cabinet ministers, at faro banks. It's not
probable that cupidity or passion would be
superior to tue power OF public shame, ex-
cept IN tdose few cases where men are per-
tectly reckless of reputation and deCepcy. |
We believe that the system of free and |
instantaneous visitation of gambling houses |
by the police, even if not mads with the |
purpose of arrest, but only with that of |
observation, will accomplish its object by |
driving from these resorts the class of men |
who contribute most to their support
One necessary detail in this system will be |
to have uniform police, whose official
dress shall be their warrant, and shall OBJ |
tain them instantaneous entrance into these
gambling establishments on the pain of
severe sentence of the law. We will thus
have these establishments brought under
an easy and ready official surveillance,
ana subject Rt any moment to be thrown
open to the curiosity and censorship of
the public. When this is done much, ifnot
most, of their power for evil is gone.