The Portland daily press., 1872-06-28
The GrOg ShOps-NO. XXI.

ing new watering place in the South of
france 1t is shut in between the Mediter-
ranean and lofty range of mountains that
come down so near to the sea, as to leave on
ly small area OF level ground upon which
the hotels and the gaming-houses-les tri-
pots-are built. The little town consists on
| ly of grand hotels and gorgeous sallesd jouer.
Gaming houses have been prohibited in
France for several years. Formerly they
were licensed by the Government, which de
rived considerable revenues from them; and
the "Hes" of Paris were famous, the world
over, for their splendor and for the vast scale
on which gaming was carried ON within
their magnificent salons These gaming
houses were one of the sights of Paris, and
travellers from every country, made it point
to see them, under the guidance of their
commissionaires. But at present no gaming
houses are kept openly in Paris, and gamb-
ling, as recognized trade, has been confin-
ed to the German towns, mostly to the Ger
man wateringplaces. Baden Baden, Ems, Weis-
baden Kissingen, being the principal ones.
But now, it seems from the article of Saint
Guest, the question has been raised, of licens-
ing gaming houses once more, as a source of
revenue-so much needed-to the govern
ment. Saint Guest protests against the poll
cy, as ruinous to the people, though govern
ment may at first, make little money out of
| it. One argument employed by those who
| favor licenses, is, that without them, the
| crowds of people who used tofrequent French
watering places, now go to those of Germany.
Saint Guest stigmatizes this argument, as un-
worthy of men who know, or ought to know,
that the moral welfare of the people is infinite
ly to be preferred to many.
Saint-Guest says that man-all men-rl-
ined at these gaming houses-"Aurait Ie
droit de dire"-would have the right to say
''Je ne songdis a rien''-I was thinking OF no
danger-"and it was you, Government, you,
whose duty it was,-de me prOteger'-to pro-
tect me-"but instead of that, you have mis-
sous mes pds-put under my feet-''these
houses creees pour me perdreP' created to
destroy me. That is the view that this
French writer takes of licensed gaming
houses his remark will apply with thous-
and times more force to licensed grog-shops,
for the latter destroy thousand men, for
every one ruined by the former. This French
writer distinctly affirms it to be the duty of
Government to protect the people from the
malgn influences of gaming houses.
Until 1858 the English government permit
ted the shocking trade in impure books and
scale in that country. So late as 1857 Holy
well street in London was occupied exclusive
ly by that infamous trade; an DID, narrow
street full of small dark shops upon each side
crammed full of this dreadful stock in trade,
and the sidewalks from end to end of the
street occupid by stalls on which this hideous
ware was displayed to the public gaze. But
| in 1858 the trade was destroyed by act of
Parliament, which authorized and command
! ed the police to seize and destroy this sort of
| Literature" wherever it could be found
But this law was not passed without resis-
tance from influential and respectable quar-
tiers; and the minority in the House of Com
mons on that vote, was large. The same ar
guments were employed in the defence ofthat
trade, that are used to defend the liquor traffic;
and the same reasons were urged for the sup
preston OF the trade in obscene books and
pictures, that are used in favor of the legal
suppression of the grog shops. But these
books and pictures are yet sold in England,
secretly in spite of the law, just as grog shops
are kept secretly here, and will continue to
be, until some provision of the law shall be
found potent enough to persuade bad men to
better way of life.
There was never in Maine, so general
feeling as now, in favor of trying the expert
ment thoroughly, of the suppression of the
liquor traffic, to see what win come of it.
Many men, as 1 know, who had doubts for
merly, of the expediency of the policy, have
seen reason to change their views, and many
Others acquiesce in the continuance of the
policy, until after a fair trial of it, the results
shall be fully developed. They say that if
mischief should come of it, the eyil will not
be irremediable, because it will be easy to
e. e.. HI, al A.. =. AZ taAg f lsanas i was in
Law ask for nothing more than that, viz =
if the suppression of the grog shops turns out
to be prejudicial to the general welfare, then
to abandon the policy and go back to the sys-
TEN OF our fathers; we ask only that-a fair
trial OF the experiment of protection to our
selves and our children from the dem oraliz-
ing trade in intoxicating drinks. ND.
"YoU pays your money and you takes your
choice' is the rule regarding Presidential
tickets this year. As far as heard from, the
following is the list:
Republican.
President, Ulysses S. Grant
Vice President, Henry Wilson.
Liberal Republican.
President, Horace Greeley.
Vice President, b. Gratz Brown.
Rerenue Reform.
President, VIM. S. Groesbeck.
Vice President, Frederick Law Olmstead
Labor Reform.
President, David Davis.
Vice President, Joel Parker
Temperance
President, James Black.
Vice President, John Russell.
Anti-Secret Society.
President, Charles Francis Adams
Vice President, c. FL. Howard.
IL Reform
President, Victoria c. Woodruff
Vice President, Fred. Douglass
Independent.
President, George Francis Train.
Vice President, Susan B. Anthony.
Perpetual.
President, Daniel Pratt.
Vice President, -
How some of the Liberals have had a
''change of heart" in regard to the personal