, 1865-02-08
SHALL THE GAMBLERS RULE
IHE CITY, OR THE CITY
RULE TEE CAmBLERS7
A Word to The Delegates from Chicago.

There is not a city In the United States, except
Chicago, where the power does not exist ia the
Common Council to enact ordinances concerning
gambling. Almost every dag ne hear complaints
mace OF the alarming increase Of gamblers and
blacklege In our city. Theee men arc not only
dangerous from their evil influences as gamblers,
but they arc universally desperate men, who have
all through this rebellion been distinguished for
their disloya1ty. A gambler By profession was
manly, nor to lend his aid to mon struggling for
freedom. Among the thousands OF blsckle9s in
these United States, President Lincoln may ielic~
ltate nm nimssn tnat nc "as elected BY the votes os
Until ths passage et ths present police Law, the
laws nom lime 10 limo for he snpprcssiogn 81 gf q
Eemnli1g; Up to that + tims @ .gamb!er1 existed en-
its ,,e1niciops iannenco wns scarcely feit. Cam
bleTs were dragged to the Police Court with other
We see nothing Of the k1nd now. Desperate acts
arc pcrpcnated by men who hing around the uu.
9p51e1 aa hs a syeft e[ o9 s they have
young men into their haunts Of crime and rice.
Not long ago clergyman wns knocked down In
city and s0beso The pelies IN
her was one Of The moat notorious gamblers OF
our city, who Lad been unfortunate Tor the few
weeks previous. Qnite half the crime Of this city
originates IN tie holes Of tnfamy kept by profess
siona1 b1acklegs.
A few weeks ngo, the Board Of Police Commits
sens1, n snE1e a1eenhoe C. 2aorssd pEs
restored to the Common Council the power it had
| before the adoption OF the present provision,
soa of aR s Tue
lcasr, whether intended or not II has that et-
feet. SINCE our city Is altogether overrun with
opened in This c,ty on The most magnificent scale,
and tie o:hcr S a gambler iTvm New Orleans. l&''
fhtlfr nf ~ .I1
aware Of the above action of tie Board Of Police,
than they called setrrt meeting, and after enb-
setitinE literally themselyE; blaekmailed some
lied them. until they succeeded In raising the
snm oi sl6t0, out Of which they we're able to se-
cure The services Of some o. the ablest lawrers
cry TINT The Recommendation Of the Board was too
severe ard prosc1fptve in its operation. They
utton-ho1ed the Aldermen, untiit they frightened
ouced to consent to modify tho Recommendation
Of the Board OF Police. The provision concerning
aa toas nps n nan
charter. Police Commissioner Wentworth called
md the sb y
ed in the interest OF these gamblers, not one Of
them has dared to reply to Mr:. Wentworth,
although our columns have ever been open to
them.
! .Mr: Wentworth. took the ground - that
II the city could a,,s ssafsly he be- trusted with
|
10 pass orllnsnces concerning gamblers. The
| city has power to condemn property, to Issue
bonds, to arrest men for various odenses-eyen for
| driving too fast over bridge OF through the
streets -and yet these gamblers contend That 1t
| should bare no control over them. or the power
to interfere with their uefatlons plsnsf They are
the arfstocracy! They can pefpetrate almost any
| crime known In the calendar; they can eren thIot-
tle clergyman ut midnight; and Jet the city have
for such hell,ah work. Alter Mr. Wcntwotth's
| letter, at the suggestion Of Mayor Sherman. the
provision concerning gamblers as paced by the
aed 60 a. to retain the power In that body to pass
such ordinances from time to time as in its wisdom
it should deem e1pedient This provision Eas
sambiess-:1 did nothing ior ihcm. II only leif
our eiiisens wcre III satieded WITH It, and gave
! the matter no particular attention.
| On Saturday evening Last letter was read in
one Of tbe leading fSmoling bells Of This sity,
Sies oHs & ss 1sas sss t e. caoS s Gass AZ
cation had held meeting and agreed to strike out
! tbi: provision fron the proposed amendments to
the CRY Charter, non .-.: ee.s:t eomn.ss..-
can there Be 10 the provision: There Is not a
aymrsthizss@ @ win .hs profession: Our deIesation
| They arc antttlavery ald honest-gamb1ers arc
| generally pro-slave5y snd dishonest We would
70 ssrikc ont 50 une1ceptonable q section from
the proposed amendments to our City Charter.
We sgatn repeat our belief that the clause has not
+. Is there . business man IN our. de1ega-
| ton who wishes his clerks ruined by gam
blngs + u the,e & father 80 loE1 to .hs in.
there gambling hells shall be multiplied In our
cdtys VIII not our delegation, each man for him
self look at the new charter and see to It that the
provision respecting gambling be strictly insisted
The men who are now fighting this provision at
Springfield, are doing SO with The money OF the
rNtFh1 @Y1H H7G In t7nrS fk%$ez