Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-03-21
Tho Vice OF Gambling.

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SATURDAY. MAkCH II. 1854.
Tho Vice OF Gambling.
Gambling has always been one Of the
eading vices of the age, and We sup
pose al ways will be as long as the world
stands. There is an infatuation about |
1t that IL seems cannot be resisted by
many. thou Oh ruin and disgrace stare
them In the face. Spasmodic efforts
IRE made from time to time, as the evil
TO suppress the vice, bat 1T
seems only to ha ve the effect to SOW the
seed Of gambling broadcast in ome
other form, and they bring forth crop
Of other evils, more innocent in APP
pearancs. but all tending in the same
direction toward the great centre evil
gambling. The wheel OF fortune at
church fairs, the grab bag, the tea lot
terry and such like, are but 80 macy
forms Of gambling, that look harmless,
but are sure feeders in furnishing vic
Tins for the policy shop and sweat
cloth arrangements. The vice Of gam
bling has be ,ome 30 prevalent in many
places that the citizens have become
exaspera:ed and have compelled the
municipal authorities to make an effort
70 break them mp. The Wheeling In
tolligencer has caused considerable of q
sensation by its attacks upon the gam
bling dens In that city, in which 1t Is
supported by the Mayor, bat the Chief
of Police is said to be in sympathy with
the gamblers. Their operations under
the let alone policy Of the Chief OF
Police, have encouraged the gamblers
90 leave their own palaces Of vice, and
70 carry on their operations in the back
rooms of hotels, not because secrecy Is
In voked to hide the business from the
pu bile, but because Ii Is more conven-
lent to carry on there than in the public
bar room. In another place in West
Virginia the people have become 30 ex
asperated A. the gamblers that they
have gone to the extreme of having
persons who play dominoes indicted DO
fore the courts.
We doubt II there are many people IL
Wilmington who have any idea to wha
extent gambling is Carried on in thi
city. Some of the deus are marked b.
sQualid surroundings, and are know
looking creatures that go in and com
out of them. Others more tashionabl
and refined ARE marked by the 'iDgres
and egress of tiashy young men, VIII
wear hashy jewelry.
One thing is particular about gam
bling dens hey always stay abou
the same neighborhood. E,tablishe,
once either In howell or q mansion
they remain there until routed, ant
even after " ards, like spring birds, tn
gam blers return to their Old nests. /
looks as if the spot used for gambler
remains ever after cursed. There ar
places In Wilmington where polio
shops and gambling have been in opel
alton for a quarter of q century. tt
man who will go TO the trouble
station himself on a west corner
Fourth and Shipley streets, has not
square to look, TO see one Of them vii
Ats motley crowd Of miserable, starve
half-clad victims, black and whit
going in and coming out of the misel
able den.
Such places are generally the win
ing up spots for those who have pass
through the more respectable grades
gambling from the innocent game
cards in the parlor down to last roul
of the ladder. We would by no mea
say that this is the inevitable result
all who indulge in an Innocent ga
of cards for a winter evening ANU
ment. The most OF them like the stro
shad force their way against the rap
but thousands fail and fall. To insu
against becoming q daily frequenter
the policy shop, there Is but one cou
70 be pursued, and that is a course
total abstinence from card playing.
Ia risky for young man 10 test hi
self to see whether he Is one OF
strong swimmers that can stem
tide. When that ia ascertained
victim may be far on his old v
towards the winding up station,
policy shop.
If the numerous cases of fuant
losses and failures which could
traced and credited to the evil of ga
bling were written up for the pull
eye the people wonld be surprised {
shocked beyond measure. And
too many OF this very ass regard
playing as an innocent anus-ment I
d not object to their Sons and dan
tors being taught the ruiiment of
education without which no pers
would ever become a gambler. II
are many fathers and mothers
have lived long enoughto wish that
part of the family education had
neglected.