Daily Republican., 1886-08-23
Gambling,

Mayor Rhoads having broken ur
policy gam bling In q general sense IL
she CRY Is now moving upon highe,
class OF gambling to bring 1t also under
the restrictions OF law. IL 10 said tina,
these policy gamblers and those who
tread the higher walks Of gaming LIE
will never be- brought before the courts
TO ans yer, and If they are that they
will never be convicted. Be this as il
may, Mayor Rhoads has done his duty
In ths case, and II no convictions ensue
the moral weakness OF the law must be
the real excuse, and this Is very good
time to And out the weak places In the
Law that they may be made stronger by
the next Legislature which will soon be
elected. II no convictions ensue 1t
will not be for want OF decent and
strong public opinion against the gen.
eral evils and crime Of gambling. In
its effects 1t 10 the lowest of vices.
When young man enters . gaming
room he steps upon the broad way to
ruin, and when he commences his ven
lures with trained gamblers he IL on
the do Onward track. Though he may
never be publicly known as q gam bier,
that Ia, there may be no positive proof
OF his gambling, yet there lie an unde.
fined public opinion that he spends his
midnight hours at the gambling table.
Business men are loath TO employ o
young man Of whom there is the least
suspicion that he Is gam bier, and
society, tickle and capricious rs 1t Is,
has no use for him. II Mayor Rhosds
keeps on in the course he Is pursuing
in his efforts to break up gambling, he
will be led from one degree Of the crime
to another The policy dens he has
been 30 successful In closing, from the
fact that they were LOCATED in low, God
forsaken, tum ble-down places, and from
the lowest classes that patronized them,
may be looked upon IS the most de-
based kind Of gambling, spurned from
society, the white men and women, with
the black man and woman, found con-
genial and convivial spirits in and
around the policy dens.
Higher up in the scale OF gambling
Is the roulette and keno tables, because
they are more exclusive in the class
that pa.ronize them, but they are no
less debasing In their effects upon
morals than the lowest policy dens.
Mayor Rhoads In his fight with gamb.
ling and gamblers has reached this
higher step in his course. He 10 now
bringing down higher class OF game
as his maui OF Saturday night last
proves. The humiliation OF the young
men captured should forever drive
them out of the debasing business.
They have not only brought disgrace
upon themselves, but upon their pa
rents As well, who stand high socially |
and In the business relations OF life. |
These young men-.hose arrested and |
the greater mum Der not arrested, should 4
take warning now ut the middle stage
of gambling career and leave the
business before they step n grade
lower INTO the yller precincts OF policy
dens.
Bat there are still higher grades Of
gambling than the keno table. They
have their location in every city In the |
Union, with headquar ers In Chicago.
They regulate the prices OF grain, OF
beef, OF pork, Of lard, and every other
commodity for which there Is . general |
demand. Stock gambling has its |
headquarters in New York, and is no |
less pernicious than the other grades to !
which We have alluded. They all be-
long to the great gambling family OF
the nation. Mayor Rhoads, SO far as
Wilmington is concerned, can hardly
tear down and root out the plants oil
q mi lar 49,
Wilmington, bu. he is doing what he
can to abolish the evil, and in his ef-
forts to do 80 he should have the sup
port of all classes of society, who have |
respect for morality and law.