Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-02-16
GAMBLING A FELONY.
An Answer to Some of the Argu.
ments in Favor of licensing
Gambling.
AlyARADO, Tx, FEB. Il, i8s5,

Gambling.
ALvARADo, Tx, Feb. Il, isS5
To the Edltor OF the Gazette.
From Mr.. Lenncx's bill and from
other quarters we understand tina
there are those who favor 'legislatiy,
enactment to license gambling II
Texas" They attempt to show thi,
to be the best method to lessen its evl
influence in society. We do not ceas,
our respect for those who differ from
our views in this and all other matters
In one thing we all agree: that il, thai
gambling is n wrong in itself, ant
hurtful to public as well as privat,
well-being. There are those who'll
that no law should be passed, however
wise and necessary, unless It is uni.
versRlly observed OF its penalty is rigid.
Is enforced when the law is broken.
This idea ID false, because, universal.
ly carried out, there has been No
law, human or divine. The ides
destroys all government, civil and par
entail, and saps the foundation Of social
life.
Another idea is abroad more false
and unjust, that our officers every.
where perjure themselves and will not
enforce the law, and public opinion
sustalns them in it, This is not true.
Again, were il the case, every man
who casts his vote for their election 10
office disgraces himself in the estlma-
ton OF the living and the dead. Every
alNfuav, haItav~na III.
gambling felony is right and neces-
cary and should be enacted il 1t can be
enforced, II isan axiom in civil gov
eminent that no law shall be passed
by the Lawmakers until IL becomes a
necessity, and when necessary the
sooner II is passed the better. This
principle underlles all extra sessions
of legislative bodies and extra legisla-
ton. Then TO say q law is right
and necessary 10 the interests
OF society, hut cannot DO en-
forced il enacted, is an absurdity.
Just as II commander of an army
seeing his troops marching TO sure de-
s,ruciiOn would say, Soldiers, j would
halt you, order your movement In an
opposite direction; IL is right and
necessary to avoid your ruin; but
can't enforce the order" BY military
law the officer would be court-mRr-
tailed and shot. "Why, sir, the
gamblers to evade the law would go
into ravines and swamps and camp
hunts. Let them 90. Keep them out
of respectable society," Can't enforce
the law? Make gambling felony; de-
fine what gambling is make the law
plain and its terms specific, and 1t will
be observed, or II violated its penalty
will be as readily enforced as any
criminal law In our code.
Should gambling be licensed by the
present legislature, 1t would be 3 retro
grade move In civilization. The gov
ernor's veto certainly will save Texas
from the odium. The plea Is, "License
their hSunts.p Like ply
stefan treating a leprous patient, at
tempt his cure by cutting Off his little
toe. "But license will regulate gam
bllng.u How? BY driving a few
wretched fakirs from their slums, and
make the business respectable in plac'
ing 1t only in reach OF few more sue
cessful. AS much as 10 say, the BUSH
ness is so mean and vile only the re-
SpeCldule t>Ec hAoNNN W AN"b ~
suits
The second plea il, license gambling
and make the tax high, to swell the
revenue Of the state. is public senu'
ment so base as 10 estimate 3 nation or
state by the amount of currency in us
Golfers alone2 And that collected at
tue sacrifice OF honor, morality, home,
humanity In the name OF reason, IL
Texas 30 pAupeTlzed that she has to
license gambling and continue the
license Of the liquor traffic u
fill the empty treasury
Certainly not. am told that the
silver has rOtted the old bags contain
ing that coin in the vaults at Austin.
Why seek the passage Of the law under
false pretenses? Why enrich the
Texas treasury by fraud2 Has she
not a law prohibiting the crl me?
What right, sir, has rexas or anybody
10 lIcense the known evil organizing,
or any o.her crime? No constituency
ever delegated such right, for they
never had Il, individually or col
lectively, %Hence every legislator
transcends his right, betrays his trust
aud becomes 8 usurper when ne az
tempts to make an abOminatlon
respectable by law. What price wiz
she demand to make gambling law
full? What will be her stpulatio =
with dynamite manufacturers ann
vendors? Had few sociallstlc, nihil'
istic and communistic dudes their way
licensed, they could pour more NIL
llune into the state and national reye
nues than all the substantial industries
Of the continent. To use words In
dicative of a little mettle, were thf
devil TO stretch his chain aud extend
his satanic dominion In this country
n possible, he would lobby congress
and state legislators 10 license th'
hells he would like 10 open "in tn
land Of the free and the home Of th.
braye.p His satanic success would
Senend on his greenbacks. VIII.
stain the fair escutcheOn Of our stat
by Iegallzing crime Of any kiRd2
- DAWSON.
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