The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-01-17

To SAY that gaming is an immoral and mischiey-
GUS practice, is, as most people will admit, simply
to utter a truism. By gaming we mean not only
playing at cards OF dice for money, but in a more
extended sense the wagering of money at races,
and the like. All of such practices are plainly
demoralizing to individuals who engage in them
and to the community in which they are permit
ted to be carried on. The trainers of our Haw-
allan laws fully recognized this view. Chapt. 80
of the Penal Code is full and explicit on the sub
ject. The Chapter opens with this definition
" Whoever by playing at cards, or any other
game. wins or loses any sum of money or thing of
value is guilty of gaming" The ofense is of two
d~egrees-gaming on Sunday or where $25 or
more is won or lost at any one time or sitting, is
of the first degree, and is punishable by fine not
exceeding ten times the value of the money or
other thing won or lost, or by Imprisonment at
hard labor not exceeding sixty days. Gaming in
the second degree is punishable by fine not ex-
ceeding fifty dollars or imprisonment at hard Ia
Dor not more than thirty days. Money or other
thing of value lost by gaming or betting may be
sued for and recovered from the winner. And if
the loser fails to sue within three months, any
constable or other person may sue for and recover
treble the value Of the wager, one half to go to
the prosecutor and the other half to the govern
ment for the use of the common schools. All
notes or other evidences of indebtedness based on
gaming are declared void in law as between the
parties. And keepers of hotels and other places
of public entertainment, by suffering on their
premises gaming with cards, dice, billiards or
other implements used in gaming, are liable to be
fined S25 for every offense. These are in the
main the provisions of Hawaiian law against the
practice of gaming, and they are ample enough if
carried out.
But it is quite notorious that our wholesome
law on gambling is in effect a dead letter. In
many, if not most Of the licensed places of public
resort, by day or by night. games of chance Tor
skill, as the case may beg for money or its equiva-
lent are common enough, and although in known
contraventiOn of law, involving the participants
and the keeper Of the house as well in a liability
to fine or imprisonment, no one ever gives that
legal liability any thought, for the police never
interfere, and no arrests for gaming are made.
But we beg pardon-arrests are sometimes made
by the police for this ofcnse. But they are of
Cinnamon, who, hidden in some out-of-the-way
hole, are perhaps cheating one another in a very
quiet wav at some Of their outlandish games
quite a different thing, it may be supposed, from
the gentlemanly 81 draw " or 80 straight " poker,
~cribbage, " sell-out, = q freeze-out,' - or pin pool,
presided over by a laultlessly attired, diamond
shirt-studded sharp. And in this connection we
may say that we have reliable information that
the sporting fraternity of this city has been aug
mented within the last two months by the arrival
of two genuine . short card men, The frequen-
tiers of places Of public resort may have met one
or both of these agreeable individuals, and suffer
ed financially in consequence. Marked cards and
no limit in bets are calculated to make plethoric
purses shrink. As to Chinese gambling houses,
about which it Is supposed the police have all the
information required, we are informed that there
are five in operation in this city at present.
These are located in the region bounded by
Beretania, Nuuanu, Hotel and Maunakea streets,
generally known as - Chinatown"
Natives, as is well known, are inveterate card
players, and gamble too at cards, though not for
very large amounts. They will spend a whole
day over a gross of card matches-one bundle
- ante" But their great weakness is very nat
urally a fOndness for horseracing, and on a favor
tie nag they will wager their last dime. This
fact constitutes the grave objection urged by many
against the practice of horseracing on public holt
days, and is always brought forward with effect
against those who talk of encouraging the produc-
ton of fine stock, and the cultivation of that no.
bic animal the horse. 1t must be admitted that
in the way of betting on a horse race, the natives
have the example pIentifulIy set before them by
foreigners. We have seen foreign ladies even, at
Kapiolani Park freely putting up their bets on
favOrite, who would be indignant if told
that they were actually engaged in the immoral