The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-07-05
DISGARCEFUL.

1t is supposed tn It all communities OF civil
lied people lay claim to the possession of
more or less refinement, and by common con.
sent and unity of action give voice to that re-
finemenL in observing certain rules of propri-
ETY. in their relations with each other that dis
tinguish them from the savage or semi-bar-
barous races. The people, through their rep
resentatives, also make laws, under the oper-
alton of which. their lives and property are
protected, and the public morals are supposed
to be preserved. We say the morals of COIN
munity are supposed ln be preserved, but t
appears to be a supposition only as far as
the preservation of public morals is effected in
this city by the operation of some of our laws.
We have upon our statute books a law con-
corning otfenscs committed by cheats. swind-
lers, and other fraudulent persons The law
is as explicit as laws generally are, and is i'll
tended to cover all swindling games besides
those that it enumeratns and characterizes as
such. The object of the law is to prevent
one person from swindling another a: games
Of cards. dice, &C., not considered legitimate
even by professional CANDLES. This law is
right and proper, and meets the approval of
every one, except it be the sharper who plies
his nefarious vocation for the purpose of
swindling the young, the mex
perienced, and the natural fools.
Again we have another law
passed last winter which provides that
minors shall not be permitted to frequent and
! r,p,,;n in ooN,blinu Sa1,nNs 'Fhio la M j. n
50 a good one and meets 10 opposition. Here
then are two laws the object of which is to
protect youths, imbeciles and the tt oughtless
from the operations of sharpers, and to pre-.
serve the young especially from becoming ia.
mlliar with gambling and its kindred vices
Now Jet us see how these laws are respected
We lav We here a city of nearly 5000 inhabi
tants. Our streets during fair evenings art
full of men, women and children. Some il
carriages enjoying pleasant drives and otl,er
in their walks enjoying our cool, pure noun
tain air.
1t is fair to presume that in a city lik'
Butte. whose numerous churches and tint
school buildings would indicate the presenc,
of a law-abiding and refined class of people
gambling would at least he confined indoors
where these women and children who are pas
sing through, oar streets need not be con
frunted with it,. But We regret to say such
not the case. In violation of all law, il
violation OF all decency, in violation of order
! of justice and of the instincts of a refine
nature, a gambling, or rather swindlin
. game is permitted to be openly carried on i
the principal street in the city. Some one
to blame for this. Some one is re
: sponsible for this disgraceful exhib
y ton upon our main tholoughtar'
= Whoever it may be should see to it that til
nuisance be removed at once. For the goo
name of the city, 1t should be suppressed an
l in the name of justice, in tie name Of human
: lty, in the name of the fathers and mother
of Butte, in the name of the people, We ca
y upon the authorities to take immediate stel
!: to blot this eyesore from cur fair city. 1t
d disgrareful.