The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-11
KEEP 1T UP.

The police have just made an
other raid npon the gambling fra
ternity, arresting a number of tn
proprietors Of gaming establish
ments. 1t is hoped that the usus
sarcastic remark that this is anothe
periodical assessment may no
be justly applied to these arrests
but there Is but one way to avoid it
and that is to Immediately raarres
the gamblers and fine them again
It has been too truthfully charged
that the city's mannerof dealingwitt
this crime has all the appearance
Of license. We have never believed
that it was the desire or purpose OF
the municipal constabularY to make
of the gamblers and prostitutes a
source of revenue to the corpora
ton, and shall not now believe the
charge; but the police will have to
make their "raids" with more fire.
quency and less regularity in order
to convince a good many people that
the administration of the ordinance
against the evils mentioned is not
equivalent to licensing tue dis
reputable and deprsved bust
ness. It was an offense to
keep gambling house on Wednes-
day, and six or eight persons were
arrested and fined because of the
infraction Of the law. 1t was no
more an offense on Wednesday than
it is to-day, when the parties who
paid their fines yesterday will have
their houses open and their games
running" if there are people with
money to play. The fact that fines
were paid on Thursday does not ex-
cuse the offenders for second vic,
lation of tie law, nor does
it give them warrant to
run along for any specified or
underlined period without molesta>
ton. On the contrary, additional
guilt attaches to them for conti>
nuing the unlawful practice, and
extra effort should be put forth to
punish them. The ordinances
against gambling and prostitution
were not created and adopted with
the view to using those crimes as
source Of income to the city
treasury. The object or pur-
pose OF the laws was to punish
offenders and suppress the Of
lenses. Let the ordinances be
enforced with those ends in view,
and with the money element en-
tlrely eliminated. Only in this
way can respect for the law and
its officers be maintained and the
evils against which it is aimed
lessened or abolished. If the pro-
position to license lewd women
and gambling were submitted to the
people for their approval Or rejec-
ton, they would almost to an indi-
Vidual record themselves against it,
and they are equally as earnest in
disappearing and frowning upon a
manner of administering the ordin-
ance that has about it the semb-
lance of license.
With good laws against both
these evils, there is every reason to
believe they are on the increase.
The social eyil'' is spreading, and
the gambling dens, it is said, have
been doubled within a year. It is
not expe cted that the municipal
authorities can put stop to these
crimes against society; but is is be- |
lieyed that they can diminish |
them, and greatly interfere |
with their huItfulness. A vigilant |
and vigorous effort on the part of |
the police, and an equally earnest |
and determined stand by the magis~
trates will suppress some of the
Infamous establishments, and drive
brazen and impudent offenders into |
a decent regard for the sensitiveness
and rights of the respectable mem
beers OF the community. We hope
Wednesdays arrests will be followed
by others daily, until gambling is
at least forced into private places
where it will be less offensive 20
public decency, and where young
men and boys will find it less easy
to encounter the tempter.