The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-11
AN OLD CONFLICT RENEWED.

ton of gambling, gamblers and gambling
houses has been agitating the people, press
and city authorities. We presume the
same subject has been sgitated, at the least
calculation, in ST. Louis and other cities, a
thousand times before, and yet the 'eyiP'
is unsurpassed, indeed has grown with
the cities and perhaps presents a much
more serious front and mighty significance
now than ever. We notice too, that in
sections of our own State, in Houston and
Waco and other points, they are discussing
the propriety of adopting the license system
in existence in New Orleans, and the mat
ter is likely to assume such
proportions as to demand the attention
of our next Legislature. For some
time past in this State and elsewhere this
class of citizens have been permitted to
carry on their trade, Notwithstanding the
laws on the statute books against it, by a
tacit understanding between them and off
Gals that at the session Of each succeeding
grahd-jury they were to come up and plead
guilty to number of indictments and go
back to their tables for three or four months
longer unmolested. This is the history OF
the subject throughout Texas, and every
other State almost, and in the meantime,
gambling has increased and the gamblers
have thrived. And notwithstanding an extra
severe statute passed by the Legislature in
Austin last winter no abatement spercepti'
bic anywhere. IT one game is dropped, an
other not reached by the statute is in
vented, and the work goes on. Or if the
law is strictly enforced, back rooms and
private apartments, curtained and barred
beyond the possibility of detection, are re
sorted to, and the "cvil' goes on without
even the revenue to the city or county that
arises from the connivance and periodical
indictment OF the offenders. Every new
set OF officials make great raid ON these
establishments, and lead the people to sup
pose that they are most certainly going tC
break them up, but after while the same
old hauuts are full of life and the same
old scenes are enacted and the ire
former" spends the remainder of his.term
in explanations and apologies to his in
dignant constituents. This is "the old, old
story" and we daresay has been repeated
in every considerable town from Maine tC
California. and is likely to continue 50 fol
the next hundred years, If something be
not done more in conformity to common
sense and the known constitution of man
and society. Man ordinarily everywhere
loves money and society ordinarily every
where loves the man who has money, and
under the circumstances police establish
ments cannot curb either the desire OF
the determination in the average citizen
to get money as easily and rapidly as posi-
bic, cannot prevent speculation and gamb,
ling, so long as things are constituted as
they now are, Legislatures may illuminate
statutes and multiply police, and the press
may agitate and the pulpit thunder, but
these things will most assuredly be, until
man and society, rs a whole through edu.
cation and moral development, become
good and too wise to either speculate OF
gamble. In the meantime what is the die
tate of ordinary wisdom in state affairs, Of
simple common sense? Unquestionably
the first, the most obvious reflection is that
if the evil cannot be suppressed it
ought to be utilized and regulated as far
as possible for the benefit of the State and
the good of each individual community
st. Louis, through her over-zealous officers
who imagine that constable can make a
leopard change its spots or man good
will have one of the ordinary spurts of clos
ing up the "hells," and for season the
sporting men, free from molcstation, will
reap richer money harvest than ever, and
the wings of as many fledglings as ever
will be clipped. There is but one
way for the present, so far as
we can see, that practical statesman
ship can deal with this and kindred evils,
equally impossible of suppression or cradi.
cation, and that is by wise, well.regulated
and cautiously framed system of licensing.
Its no more immoral than drunkenness-and
the gambling hall is no more immoral than
the saloon, and if the one is licensed why
not the other? In this way the fraternity
may be brought moro directly under the
eye of the law, and a handsome revenue
brought into the State. Let the State
be wise and reap as much bene-
TIT as possible from the practice.
Throw open the doors and license the
house, and then depend upon the gradual
growth of society and the individual in
morals and intelligence, the only things
that ever did correct an evil or abate an
abuse, to put down this one in the proper
time. We desire as much as any one to see
all these things that have tendency to
corrupt society or injure the State banished
from our midst, but We most decidedly diff.
fer with those who think that moral re-
forms can be accomplished by force or man
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