The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-02-12
ABOUT GAMBLING.
What Sporting MAN ia s ustin has
to say on the : ubj ecE.

tOsay on the ubjecE'
1t is frequently well to get the
opinions of all sorts Of people. BY
hearing every side of question, by
listening to discussions from every
point OF view, the subject can be COM
pretended in its entirety.
Just now the regulation of gam
bling is a topic that interests every
body. The present legislature pro-
poses to deal with it. In regard TO it
the most diverse views are held. One
theory is to make it felony; another
is to pass license law.
Yesterday a reporter meeting
up with a well known mem
Der of the sporting fraternity, asked
his ideas on the subject. The other
responded in substance as follows:
Gambling is, / admit, an evil. 1t has
fiourished long time, however, and
seems difficult to entirely break up,
You ask me what [ think of the pro
posed bill to make gaming a felony.
l don't think it will do. Let them
pass this bill and what will be the re-
suit? You are doubtless aware that
there are various kinds of gambling.
Some time ago, the distinction
was drawn clearly and
correctly in THE STATESMAN. There
are men in all cities who run fair
games. There are others, so-called
gamblers, who are really thieves.
Fakirs is the word generally used to
designate them. Now, suppose gam
ing is made felony. The proprietors
Of the better clasS,of these establish
ments will close up. They are
not going to take any chances On GO
ing to the penitentiary. They wilI
quit the business rather than run the
risk of being convicted as felons. But
will the fakirS do this? Win the
keepers of low gambling hells, where
drunken countrymen are tleeced, shut
up shops? Not by an overwhelming
majority. On the contrary
these robbers will increase and multi
ply: They are generally the hardest
kind of characters, and are willing to
run any risk. The vice, instead Of be-
ing suppressed will only flourish
in an aggravated form. | am not tell
ing you this for buncombe. It is as
certain to be the result as the sun
shines above us.
But if, on the other hand, gambling
is licensed and the tax be put 20 a
sufficiently high figure, only EespOnsi-
BILE men, men who will be interested
in preserving the reputation of their
houses for square dealing, can engage
in the business. This will drive the
fakirs out of the business. The IL
censed sporting men will combine
against them, and their occupation
will be gone. 1t will be an easy mat
ter then to enforce the law, for back
of it Will lie public opinion. Again,
the money arising from licenses
viii swell the revenues of the state to
an enormous figure Why license the
sale of liquor and deny it to gamingy
Is the one any greater evil than the
other? They go hand in hand.
AS the law now stands, the gam
blers are ierked up occasionally and
fined. Who gets the money? The
prosecuting attorney and the other
court officers. The state only gets a
part. License it and it is all turned
over into the Golfers of the general
treasury. 1t then goes to the public
good and not to the private purses of
Individuals.
These are my views. and you can
take them for what they are worth
Other arguments might be adduced
but the foregoing VIII do for this,
time" So the interview was ended.
1.-THE best smoking. tobacco is "Little
Joker.