Bismarck tri-weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1881, 1878-02-19
aAMBLMa M THE ARMY:


Special 70 New York Tribune.
% The senate committee on military If
fairs will undoubtedly report favorably
i substitute for The bill "To make an
additional article of war forbidding
gambling or the 4 frequentiDg! of gam
bling resorts by officers and soldierssof
the army" a.-,...,-sr.ss ..~s.sqs,,-r.
+. The articles-foE-the- government Of
the navy already contain, a. proyiso
making gambling an offense punishabl
by court N artial. By the general regula
tions Of the British army also it is made
the duty of the commanding officer OF
the corps 'to d;scountenance any dis
position in his officers to play at game
for.high stakes;" all gambling in garri
500, camp or cantonments is strictly for
biiden;" ."no tippling OF gambling IS to
be allowed in any of the barrack rooms;'
|''in hospitals every specie of gambling
is strictly: forbidden" sin regimentaI
recreation rooms all gambling IS strict
IL prchlbited." -@ -. &. -.l'5s IL ~
General Sherman does not seem to
ssree with the judge-advocate gene' al
and the senate committee as. to the; ne
cessity of the enactment of this add
tional article. of war. He says, IN a re
cent letter, that he believes that the
passage of the bill under consideration
would be i'll timed and unwise. In his
opinion tho vice Of gambling is less in
extent ct this time than 1t any pre-.
viens period, whereas, the inference
would be that it Is . growing snd dan
gerous evil st this moment. In, al sges
and at oil times, hs continues, men have
risked money on the chance ofs horse
race, tho toss Of . copper or game Of
cards, and no law can prevent it
Good morsls, he says, are the result OF
thought and association, not Of law,
The army is now subjects to the law Of
the locality in this matter, and 40 Of
ficsr Is subject to court martial for
gambling Il hs b disbursing agent
This, Gen. Sherman thinks ought to
suffice, and does suffice. In tho new
army regulations contemplated, Gen.
Sherman adds, any additional rules
can be provided for which are deemed
necessary.
The substitute, which will probably
bs adopted, provides that any officer
serving with troops, OF any soldier not
on furlough, who CANDLES, bets, or
plsys for money OF other valuable stake
or consideration, shall be brought to
trial BY court martial, and upon con.
v'ction, punished - follows: II IN Of
ficer, for the first ohenss with suspen-
sion from rank, command and pay for =
period Of not less than six months nor
more than one yesr; for second ofense,
with dismisssl from the military ser.
vice; if soldier. 1T the discretion Of
the court. 1t also provides that any
officer or the army, whether or not sery-
ing with troops, who BY gambling, bet
ting or playing for money or other val
uab stake or consideration at > game
of cards or otherwise shall win money
from junior or inferior officer. shall,
upon conviction BY court martial, be
dismissed from the military service
4 further provision Of the bill will pro-
baby forbid any post-trader to allow
gambling in any building, store, or
other establishment owned OF occupied
BY him, on penalty Of having his .p
pointment revoked BY the secretary Of
war. The execution of this law will b.
put nto the hands Of the commanding
officers Of posts, stations, attachments,
etc.