The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-31

its bright lights and shin 1
ng piles of silver, removed from the {
public gaze behind closed shutters; it I
lolds out its tempting snare to all !
.lasSeS alike, and deludeS its victims
If the early night by allowing them
mall winnings; but keeping them IN s
he fastness of its tolls until in the !
ate hours of night their brains are
heated with liquor or they become in
,oxicated with the bats that have
been thrown them-when their self
control is gone and their recklessness
is aroused by their winnings, these
gentry. these destroyers
of youth cluster about their damned
haunts and rob every victim whom
they can induce to enter their game.
Robbed of his hard earnings, rebuked
by his conscience, with sinking heart
the deluded wretch descends to the
streets feeling that he is an object OF
scorn, smitten by sense of self dis |
grace: nine chances to one his career |
ends in his stealing, or in robblng or
somebody. Furthermore, |
if your grand juries find bills against
the proprietors of these establish
ments for exhibiting their gambling
devices, out of four cases small fines
under plea of guilty will be imposed
in two cases, and the remain
ing two will be dismissed.
What is the result? 1t Is
simply licensing gambling tables at
the rate of about two hundred dollars
a year. The object of the law is to
suppress and stop gambling. We
should no longer tamper with this
crime, and while we punish by fine the
unfortunate victim of these snares,
let us make the penalty for keeping
such establishments felony so great
as to break up gambling hells, and
drive the profession out of the state.
How much fence cutting have you
heard of since its penalty was
raised from a misdemeanor to a felo
ny. The reason is that the lawless will
not risk the preparation of the crime
under so high penalty. Wipe this
curse from the face of the land, and
| drive these gamblers from your towns
| and cities, so that when your wives
and daughters walk along the streets
they may be spared the insult of these
shameless rascals, standing with their
heads hung down in order to see the
shape of their ankles.
This is bold and manly statement
of the question. Its very fearlessness
commends it to the consideration of
every honest man and good citizen.
In this Mr.. Fisher filings himself IN the
very faces of the gambling men and
fiercely contravenes their position
and antagonizes their interests. The
nature and extent of the evil is but
barely understood even in this coun-
try where we ST and full in the baleful
glare of the wreck and ruin wrought
by this one of the curses of the days
in which we live. This statement
of the temptation presented to the
youth and the manhood of the coun-
try is not an ovordone picture,
neither is the picture, of the effects,
overdrawn. The observation and
experience of nearly every man
of the world will bear Mr.. Fisher
out in the position he assumes.
1t only remains then to consider
the remedy he suggests. 1t is beyond
doubt the proper one. The only one
which will reach the root of the evil
and work it's destruction. Make the
offense one of felony, and with rigid
enforcement of the law for one year
and the crime of gambling would be
effectually wiped out. At least it
would be so driven from the haunts OF
men that its worst effects, those
upon the young and thoughtless, would
be avoided. and that, we take it, is the
main consideration. The speech rings
out on the air as a bugle blast from
an unexpected ally at critical juno.
ture in the fight. Mr.. Fisher has
counted the cost, and evidently regards
himself as strong enough to cross
swords with the gambling element.
The crime of gambling is a wide
spread one. Its consequences are
grave beyond over-estimation. The
evil is a generally diffused one, and
any measure to meet and grapple
with it, with any showing OF
success at all, must he as broad and
sweeping as the evil it proposes to
deal with, or as the one suggested by
Mr.. Fisher. We commend this sub,
ject and his treatment of it to the peo-
pie, to the taxpayers, to the property
holders and all others interested in
the subject of pure morals, good gov
ernmeRt, peace and order-in Texas.
1t is no time to stand upon bubbles
or non-essentials. The question is
whether we would be quit of the evil
at all, and if yea, by what means. If
in earnest, the making of the crime a
felony, and the enforcement of the
law will accomplish it without fail.
WHY wouldn't Hon. John Hancock
make first-rate governor? He is
available and the people would sus-
tain him generally. He is statesman
of sound, broad, far-reaching views.
He would be able to grasp the situa-
ton, understand the necessities of the
state, and he has withal the nerve to
work out the problems of the state
government without fear of conse-
quences. He has breadth and capac-
ity and his political and personal in
tegrity has never been questioned. 1t
is by no means improbable that his
name will be offered at Hous-
ton, and if it is, somebody will be
vastly surprised. Any good name
placed in nomination there will de-
velop at once the unreal and hollow
character of the support the governor
is now receiving. All it needs is a
determined puncture and the bubble
will collapse with the utmost prompt
nees. We are on the eve of stirring
events, and the more men we have
to the fore, of the Hancock stripe, the
better 1t will befor the country and
for the interests of the people. If we
are to have democratic national adj
ministration it would be good thing
to have it supported by strong, clean
and able state governments especially
in the south.
THE red-headed, will doubtless soon
be on Grains trail in the shoe-string
There will be fun when the |
champions meet to try conclusions be-
fore the people. Grain will go for