The semi-weekly miner., 1885-02-18
THE GAMBLING BILL.
6 Justice -, has Something to say
Upon the Bill,
Tn which he Views Gambling from
Several Standpoints.
Butte. NJ. T. Feb. 18th. 1884.

To the Editor Of the MINER.
AS q citizen and taxpayer OF Butte
desire to be heard in the discussion
which ia now going on concerning
the an,i-gambling bill introduced oy
Mr.. Forbis in the Legislative assem-
bly, of the Territory, and with this
view I ask for small space In your
widely.circnlated journal. l premise
my remarks by saying am not q
gambler nor do ever gamble, and thai
accept the proposition that gam
bling is a vice which should be
hedeed in and rest rained within the
bounds of operative law. But do
not believe that gambling can be sup
pressed by prohibitory statutes. In
this I differ, and honestly differ,
with many of my fellow citizens. AS
I take it we all agree upon the evil
tendencies of gambling but disagree
as to the best means to restrict 1t, for
the most ardent advccltes OF MI.
Forbis' bill do not hold that gam
bling can be suppressed under 1t.
They claim, shoul the bill become q
law. twill ouly restrict it,, TnAt be-
ing the case the issue as to the bet
ter wsy to accomplish that result
presents itself.
It is impossible. Mr.. Editor, to
notice fully, in a newspaper article
of reasonable length, the religious
moral and practical aspects of gam
bling. Ever since the Disciples cast
lots for Christ's raiment, over eignt-
cen hundred years ago. =
MEN HAVE aAMBLED
Tn one form or another. From the lit
tie barefooted urchins who play
marbles "for keeps" upon side streets
IN country towns, running up
through every class of men and
grade of society to the bejeweled and
b. d amoned millionaire of Wall
street and the fashionable churches
which inaugurate lotteries at
fairs and festivals the spirit OF gam
bling is inculcated and the practice
carried on. Even the pursuits and
industries of man breed the gambling
spirit. The farmer takes chances on
his crops being destroyed Ly drought
or insects !; the stockman taxes
chances on his cattle surviving the
storms of winter; the miner takes
chances on his claim "panning OUT"
the merchant takes chances on his
credits. and the minister takes chances
on getting his salary. These chances
are all legitimate and in perfect &C.
cord with theeternal fitness of things,
yet they are chances in which labor
capital and brains ale put against
possible remunerative returns. This
argument is not made In aspirlt OF
levity or to furnish an
EXCUSE FOR GAMBLING.
It is made because I contend that
the extreme of gambling is but the
outerovth of the conditions of our
existence-the natural corallary OF the
pursuits Of man, subject to control
but not to suppression. And because
I believe that no law which aims to
SUPPRESS this spirit Of gambling,
which pervades every class of men
and every grade of society ever has
or ever can be enforced. But it,can
be restricted, and this leads to the
consideration of the question: Where
shall the
LINE BE DRAWN?
Shall it be drawn at marble play
ing? at church lotteries? at horse
racing? or at the faro table? Mr..
Forbis' bill draws it at the latter and
leaves every other form of gambling
to vege. ate and flourish like green
bay tree. This is all wrong. 1t is
an attempt to purify the spring by
Dipping dry the stream below ito
destroy a poisonous reptile by pulling
off its rattles. The result would be
barren in either case. Now If We
propose to
SUPPRESS GAMBLING
Altogether, to kill its spirit as well
as its form, to reform men and revo-
lutionize the " orld, we should COM
mence where the illegitimate germ
crops cut. We should prohibit boys
from playing pins and marbles "for
keeps" We should prohibit church
Is from inaugurating aud carrying
On lotteries. We should prohibit
Iool selling and betting on horse
races. We should prohibit betting
on elections the most demoralizing
and the most Objectionable of all
forms of gambling, as it leads to the
corruption of the ballot box, the per-
version of the will of the people and
the destruction of our free institu-
,;one Wo sho,,ld nrOhihjt sfnck