The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-10-01
Licensed Gambling.

Licensed Gambling.
that it 10 better 10 . Government to licens'
vices, and thus keep them under the con
troll of law, than to leave them exclusively
to their own devices. Thus it was though
that gambling would be greatly limited IL
it's field Of operations by the licenses which
the law issued to its dens, year or two
ago, in this city. 1t was said, men viii
have gambling places, at any rate, and the
best way to reduce their number 10 tt
license certain ones, which will thencefortb
through self-interest, be the most vigilant
detectives and most incessant prosecutors o.
the others. Thus the field of operations
will be narrowed down to a few known
houses, and into these respectable person,
will be ashamed to be seen entering.
The fallacy of this sophistry was soou
perceived on actual experiment.. Hundreds
of quiet laborers, artisans and other citi-
zens, who had never dreamt of gambling
were allured into these infamous holes by
their glitter and glare, their open, unhesi
Eating advertisement and the respectability
given to them by the quasi sanction of law
So fearful were the ravages thus made in 8
short time among decent and hitherto hap.
Ply families that such q cry of horror arose
from the community as to necessitate the
repeal of the Odious legislation.
There is one of these nuisances, in q
modified form, which, however, still exists,
and upon quite a gigantic scale at that.
Clothed in the garb Of gentility and as
sumed morality, the lottery business is as
really game of hazard as keno, faro or
seven-up. Deluded victims fancy them
selves competent to make skilful calcula-
lions for winning just as seriously as when
fighting the tiger ia his recognized haunts.
Every newsboy or bootbiack stndies out
the combinations until he imagines that he
has more arithmetical talent than other
folks, that his natural though unlettered
genius will enable him to enter into the
contest with immense odds on his side, and
that he will have the secret of golden
success.
The evil results of this are manifest.
The principal patrons of the two-bit lot
terry will always be women and children of
tue poorer classes, especially negroes. The
scheme is cunningly devised to address
itself to the cupidity and capacity of those
who represent nine-tcnths of the population,
and whose little surplus moneys, instead
of being deposited in savings bank, are
diverted into the bank of the Louisiana
State Lottery. And, unfortunately, it is not
their savings only which are thus misplaced.
Servant girls going to market are tempted
to stint their basket little to gain the
lucky quarter that is to win them five hum
dred dollars. Children catch the infection
and stealthily abstract from the funds of
their parents the means to CRAFTY this
growing passion which lures them on with
such fairy like splendors, and in which it is
30 hard to detect them. Even wives of
poor men may sometimes deceive their
husbands in the item of expenses in order
TO follow faulty which is so full of pro-
upon the tolls of domestic deceit and cult
Yates the field of petty larceny for its har-
vest.
The most scandalous part of the proceed
ing is probably the manner in which the
daily press of the city makes itself acces-
sorry to THE fact by the ample advertise
ment which it does not scruple to give in
it's columns, and the jovial, genial humor
with which it's editorial notices treat the
affair, as though one of the most deserving
and popular ideas of the day.
If society must have vices, let them not
at least be popularized by the advocacy of
a public press, nor recognized by a per-
missive law. On the contrary, they ought
to be crowded back as much as possible
into the disreputable purlieus of shame,
and driven from the highways by the I'M
moving finger of public scorn.
On Wednesday evening last, at the Church
of the Immaculate Conception, the Rev. Father
Jourdan Joined in the holy bonds of matri-
mony Mr. Paul Rousset, the son of our we'll
known fellow-citizen, A. Rousset, Esq, and