San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-09-04
Judge NOOnan's Charge.

We find in the Express Of Tuesday th6
substance of Judge Noonan's charge to the
Grand Jury of Bexar county, on the con-
vening of the District Court. 1t is so peril
nent to this latitude and to our own town
and county, that we think we cannot do
better than copy entire. Read:
The condition Of affairs, not only in this
section, but throughout the entire country
is such as to have distressingly depressing
influence on every industry and all members
of society, except the class given to the pro-
pensity to commit crimes, This class is as
active and energetic in its criminal pursuits
as ever, and probably even more active.
These human pests command your earnest
attention, particularly in countries like
ours, where property is greatly exposed on
our prairies. where cattle, horses and swine
run at large. The criminal cultivates
theory Numerically opposed to the vested
rights of the owner. 1t was supposed,
enormously, however, when fence-cutting
had subsidized that horse and cattle thefts
would also be eradicated, but the evil is one
which has deeper source. 1t is instilled
and inculcated through the fundamentally
of idlers. The young men given to such
crimes are those who, in their hours of
idleness, congregate about the country
grocery store and the city saloon, and there
acquire expensive habits of drinking
and gaming. And in order to supply the
means to crafty those habits, they depredate
on the property ot-others. BeIar county,
however, is not so greatly afflicted, perhaps,
in proportion to her population, as surround
ing sections, but it becomes you to set an
example in enforcing our laws, which will
impress other sections and lead them to
adopt new course.
1t probably does seem hard on you to
indict youths raised here and whose parents
are your friends. A youth always attracts
sympathy, but it is better for the youth not
to pass over his transgressions, for when
you do he will almost invariably pursue the
same course of crime persistently that he
has commenced, and your leniency but
encourages him to do 80. 1t would be bet
ter that he were dead than in the peniten-
tiary but if you do not place him there
you not only encourage him but others to
commit crime. 1t becomes you to discounte-
nance laxity in executing the laws, and you
have sworn duty to perform.
Regarding homicides, this section is
attributable not only to the fact that the
sentiment of the community is greatly
opposed to this species of crime, but the
officers in this respect carry out the laws
and Arrest the offenders.
wish could say the same of them in
other respects. I regret that feel CON-
PEELED to call your attention to subject to
which have frequently referred before, I
mean the failure of officers to arrest and
punish parties who violate the gaming
kha md faI
statutes) Gambling has been considered
carefully by casuists, sophists and philoso-
pliers, as well as by moralists and ministers,
all of whom agree that it benefits no one
and the losses always fall upou the masses,
burden, and its victims are brought to ire
trievable rnin. 1t is an unmixed evil
Viewing it from a moral and religious
standpoint, az it is viewed by those who
believe in a hereafter, it debauches and
debases those addicted to it. 1t encourages
and begetsa tendency to drink and to steal,
for he who CANDLES does not exert sufficient
control over himself to confne himself to his
own funds. He must have funds to gamble
on, no matter how he gets them. For this
very reason no business man will employ a
man whom he knows is addicted to gamb-
ling. 1t is your duty to first find out wheth-
er or not there is any gambling going on
or not in this community. If you do ascer-
tain that there is, your duty is plain. You
must execute the laws and without any
psrtiality. If you ascertain that gaming
does exist and in the very center of your
city, on the most public thoroughfare, you
must then ascertain if the officials had any
of il, and if you discover that
they have, your duty in that regard is also
plain. Ifyou discover that gaming is carried
on here, and that they are ignorant of it,
you give them credit for more dizziness and
stupidity than probably should be possessed
by officials who have been elected to the
positions requiring intelligence and know
ledge. If they have failed in their duty,
you have no discretion in the matter and
must not consider the score Of friendship or
sympathy. Your duty is simple and plain.
II you ascertain that gaming is carried on
and Who the offenders are, you must indict
them. and IL you ascertain that the officers
whose duty Il is 10 enforce the law. bad the
same knowledge without furnishing the
offenders. your duty is 30 iDdict them