American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-03-01
Charge OF Judge w. B. .>ui.-
ningham to the Grand Jury
Of Madison County.

G GENTLEMEN OF tbs GRAND jury:
The fret aid gr ut duty required bv I'll.
unusually long oath that has been admit
is cred to you is that you shall diligent
inquire into and true presentment make
-uch matters and things as shall be Civ
Won in charge or otherwise come to you,
&c.
l shall now proceed to give you certain |
matters Sin charge" concerning which i,
will be your duty to make inquiry.
GAMING.
During the entire history of Mississippi
gaming has properly been regarded by the
laws Of our State as serious public injur,
and a positive jetriment to the interest Of
the people and was accordingly prohibited
by law. No good can ever spring from it.
It's bsueful effects can be seen from everv
standpoint from which it can be considered
We cannot contemplate it for a single mo-
ment without theft, swindling and robbery
rearing their hideous spectres before us.
The word gambling more nearly conveys the
meaning of the offence of gaming than any
word in our language. By our laws gam
ing is defined to be any game, play or
or amusement for money or other thing of
value. So that any game Of chance for any
thing of value constitutes the offence of
gaming and it matters not by what name
that game is known. Any party who is
guilty should be indicted and especially
should any officer of the law be indicted if
found guilty upon investigation. Those
who should DO ga terror to evil doers''
must not set an example of wIckedness and
fraud.
The keeping of tables for gambling pur-
poses. is also an indictable-ofence under
our statute, and betting generally is pro-
bibited by our laws,
In this connection I mention the work.
ings of the institution known AZ Maaufact-
uring, Agricultural and Educational aid
Society. The Legislature for reasons bet
ter known to themselves than t. this court
| has chartered this lottery society. How
does it aid the Manufacturing or Agricul
tural interests of the State7 By swindling
| the weeks hard earnings from the labnrine
man by especial drawings" on Saturd y
| afternoon, and aids the educational inter
ests of our State by flching from the igno
, rant and improvident father the little money
| he may have to feed and clothe his family
and. educate his children. An sducationa al
institution, forsooth, as we'll call q faro
bank an educ ,tional institution, or Satan
| An angel If this Institution has acted
within tho scope of the authority given it
then you have nothing to do with it; In
| that case let it alone. But IL it has acted
outside ot its authority so as to constitute
the offence of gaming then let it's managers
be presented in your return to this court.
UNLAWFUL RETAILING.
1t is the official duty of the clerk of the
Board of Supervisors of the county to give
you, this day, a list of all the licensed re-
tailers of vinous and spurious liquors with
in the county outside of the city corpora
ton and the duty Of the Mayor of the city
of Canton to furnish you list all the liz
censed retailers of vineus and spurious
liquors within the city limits. Thus you
| will he able to learn whether any parties
are selling without. proper license.
Wherever persons have violated the law in
this respect they should be indicted. 1t
must be known by every one of yeur num-
Der that the use of bad whisky is the foun :
datien of the great majority of tho person.
al conflicts that result SO disastrously to
the happiness of the people. The indis-
criminate use of intoxicating drink has
been the origin of many ofthe great num-
Der of criminal cases that burden the Grim
inal calendar of this court. Drinking ia
stigates the evil spirits, fires the evil pas
sions, and nerves the arm to strike the
blow. And you will perhaps find that the
law is more frequently violated by those
who have been regularly licensed than by
these who are not, and violated in this tina,
the bar-rooms are kept open on the Sab
bath day. Other departments of business
suspend, and why is it that those dram
shops are kept open7 Still it cannot be
denied that these houses are kept open all
over this city, and men spend Sunday
gambling, drinking and carousing. And
many of them there spend the little money
that is the sole reliance and support Of
their families, in fact, in many instances
their emily dependence for the necessariei
Of life. Tho doors of these houses will
not be flung wide open as during the week
but will be slightly ajar, SO that parties
may 60 in and out as they desire. and even
if the doors are generally kept closed, il
persons can get ingress AMI egress as they
please, the rooms are open to all intents
and purposes in law.
That this should be so is a public shame
and a disgrace to the officers of the law, es.
pecially to Justices of the Peace and the
Mayor of this city, but upon no oIe docs this
responsibility rest with creator weight than
guardians Of public morals and the protector:
of society. Let these considerations stimulate
you to q full and faithful performance of duty
This doctrine ill not be palatable to those
who carry on this unlawful traffic on Sunday
nor will the performance of your duty in thi:
matter receive the approval of those who arc
accustomed to frequent these places anG
mingle in the scenes of darkness that transpire
there, but you will have the approval OF you
own conscience in knowing that you have per.
formed your duty, and you will have the ap.
prevail of many a broken hearted wife and
mother. who weeps at home in unmeasured
sorrow, while her faithless husband spend.
Sunday in these dens of infamy. You will
have the gratitude and approval of little boy.
and girls who sit at home, in sadness, on Sun
day. wishing that their Maynard papa would
come home. You will have the sanction and
approval of the the laws of our country, which
provide that, 81 1t shall not be lawful for any
person having a license to sell vinous and
spirituous liquors to keep open the bar or
place where such liquors sold or sell any
such Liquors the first day of the week
commonly called Sunday" and which law
you are sworn to assist to administer, and
you will have the approval OF that great God
who presidss over all and commands US
whether officers individuals. to " Re-
member the Sabbath day to keep it holy"
have heari it suggested that public opin-
ion will not sanction your action and mine in
such course that laid down. but this ID
not for US to consider. We must discharge
our sworn duty and leave the consequences to
heaven, besides have never known, nor do
l ever expect to know, any public opinion
that can deter me from doing what believe
to be right, or make me hesitate in the per-
Torrance of my sworn duty.
PUBLIC ROADS.
The condition of the public roads of the
country claims your special attention. No one
| feature of country adds more the cOmfor,
and convenience of the people than good pub
lie roads, and their condition has a telling ef-