Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-03
How New Orleans is Advertised.

HOW New Orleans is Advertised
Within the last few days New Orleans
has received more advertisement from
her gamblers fund than from the EXPOSE
ton. This gamblers fund is something
which no other city in the country has,
and for that reason perhaps New Orleans
is rather proud of it. 1t was established
seven or eight years ago, and has been the
means of accomplishing some good.
Under Mayor shakespere's administra-
ton an attempt was made to close the
gambling houses of the city. The attempt
failed, of course, chiefly because the po-
lice department couldn't be relied upon
to do its duty. 1t was suspected
that certain of the police were
bribed by the gamblers to shut their eyes
to the violations Of the law against gam
bling. Mayor Shakespeare thought that
fund might be obtained from the gamblers
for the benefit Of the city. AS the law
did not permit gambling no ordinance
could be passed on the subject. The
Mayor, therefore, with the advice and
consent of the city adm Illustrators, placed
a certain tax upon each of the gambling
houses, and devoted the money to the
building and maintenance of an aims
house.
The scheme worked well. The gamblers
paid promptly, and a magnificent aims
house was built. The fund averaged
between 500, 900 ana 600 year, which
was ample to maintain the institution.
The gamblers were HAPPY, because the
arrangement permitted them to pursue
their business more openly. Indeed, they
quickly showed that they felt that they
we're engaged in lawful and respectable
business. The city didn't complain. be-
cause it had the means from the gamblers
for taking care of its paupers, and the
paupers were joyful because they found
the almshouse pleasanter than begging in
the streets.
The arrangement would have continued
to be mutually satisfactory if it hadn't
been for the fact that the present city
government looked on the gamblers fund
with covetous eyes, and appropriated it to
its own use. The paupers began to cry
out for bread, and the almshOuse man.
ayers were stirred up to find out what had
become of the fund. The grand jury took
hand in the matter, and the newspapers
began to make a noise. The gamblers
enjoyed the situation, since there was no
disposition to interfere with their BUSH
ness. They continued 30 pay their assess
ments and to fill their pockets from their
earnings from the greenhorns who found
their way into their attractive resorts.
The grand jury could do nothing be-
cause there was no law authorizing the
assessment OF gamblers, and its invest-
cation therefore amounted to nothing. 1t
was alleged that the fund was being used
for the benefit of some of the Councimen,
but investigation was not pursued far
enough to determine whether or not this
allegation was well founded.
The thing that stands out most promi-
nently in the whole business is that the
city government OF New Orleans is virtu-
ally bribed by the gamblers not to enforce
the law against them, and that the gov
eminent, to ease it's conscience, set apart
the bride tor the benefit of paupers; that
the city government thought that the
pauDers We're having altogether too good
a time on the gamblers money, and there
fore appropriated it to objects about
which there appears to be a disposition
to keep shady.