The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-02-04

s.
SUPPRESSION OF GAMBLING.
The views Of " Progress" Herein Ex'
pressed Upon the Subject.
Editor MINER : We hear 80 much
lately upon the subject of the Gam
bling Bill, introduced by MI. For
bis. and principally in the line of o.
iections to the passage of this bill.
that, With your permi' sion, l desire
to occupy q little Of your space for
the discu sion of q few of the many
objections made. One of these I'M
portant objections made to its passage
and We believe one of the most I'M
portant, is that If this bill becomes a
law. that this Territory would lose
in reveuue in the neigbborhood OF
one hundred thousand dollars per
annum. Now 1t is true that the
Territory, that is, the COUNTIES ana
municipalities within the Territory
would lose about the amount ebove
mentioned, and If this bill becomes q
law, certainly this revenue must De
made up from some other quarters.
The property and business OF the
Territory must supply the deficiency.
The objection is also made that there
are many subjects that exist that
equally demand legislation of . re-
strictive character while this bill only
applies to but n class and leaves
the others to 60 Scott free. Also that
this is q personal fight engendered
by a political squab0le of the honora-
BILE member, Mr.. Forbls, and Mi.
Lee Mantle, one of whom was elected
and. the other rejected in the late
election, and so objections multiply,
each individual having q variety of
his own.
Now, let me say, to the point made
regarding the loss of one hundred
thousand dollars to Jul revenue by
the passage of this bill, made up from
licenses now paid by this business,
that no business should be licensed or
tired to support a government that is
not a legitimate business. Illegiti-
mate business or enterprise
is, wrong and should BE-
suppressed. One Of the very OBJ
jeots ofgovernment Is to encourage le-
ultimate industry and enterprise and
to prohibit all those that are illegiti-
mate. This Is n of the uses of gov
eminent. How absurd to say that
government should be supported in
part or wholly from industries that
are recognized as Legitimate. Our
Territory should no more accept a
revenue from such y source than 1t
would accept and depend for support
wholly or in part upon the booty of
the thief.
The true rule in regard to revenue,
then, is that none out those business
callings or enterprises which are L.
ultimate and which the state is bound
to protect should furnish any part or
parcel of the revenue that goes to
support government. We have no
business either with the meat or broth
of the Devil. We oppose both. If
my conclusions are correct, all prop
erty and business that we denomi-.
nate legitimate, should contribute to
pay the expense of government and
no other. Consequently a higher
tax should be- LEVIED upon all such
enterprises and. business to supply
the deficiency made by the loss of
the gambling licenses. A one mill
tax upon the output of the camp and
increase of say one-third or one fourth
of the amount now paid for LICENSES
by business men that are legitimate,
would amply supply the deficiency
of thirty or forty thousand dollars
per annum that would be lost to ST.
yer low county in the loss of gam.
bling licenses and the costs that
necessarily would be made in at
tempts to enforce this proposed Law,
If it should find a place upon our
statute rocks. There is one very
good reason why the product Of our
mines should pay its proportion to
supply this deficiency and that is
gamblers and the friends of
gambling are always found in
the successful mining camp. If
these leeches follow the mining in
dustry, why should not the mining
industry pay sufficient tax so that
we can do without the revenues re-
cslved from gambling? Yes, If nee
assary, let our mines help put down
this evil, and let them. as we'll as all
other property owners, pay in taxa
ton for its suppression. One hun
dred thousand dollars is no small
amount to take from the revenues
of the counties and towns of Mon-
tana. The petitions secured by the
ladies calling on u miners aud mill
and smelter men, while at their
meals, are well enough upon their
face, but after all, will not our legis-
lators ask the question, whether
these petitions really represent the
true sentiment Of our people as we'll
as our property interests. May they
not think after all that q minor NAV