, 1888-02-12
ms RILL.
MIR. Holiday Has something TO say
Regarding Gambling.

-
bauy county in support of his bill in the
territorial council for the suppression of
gambling: y
Mr.. PresideRE-Itt~ould seem that a
bill of this nature-a BIFto prevent gam
bling-in other words, a bill for an act to
extend to the youth and the homes of
Wyoming the strong protection of the
law against n dangerous vice-would not
in the present advanced condition of So
ciety in this territory require a defence
before the council. The people of Wyo-
ming justly pride themselves on the high
intellectual and moral character OF the
citizens of the territory, who have, ac-
cording to the last census, the smallest
percentage of illiteracy of any state or
territory in the United States; a people
who are Justly proud of their system of
free education and the facilities provided
for educating the rising generation; a
people who have built church ediices in
town, hamlet and country school districts
that would be a credit to communities of
equal population in any country. with an
able, conscientious and ~tireless ministry
whose labors are laying deep in the hearts
of the people Christian influences so
necessary to lis peace, prosperity and hap
piness of communities or states Chris
tan influences that are being felt in the
halls of legislation to-day.
The fathers and mothers of Wyoming
to-day ask of the legislature the same
protection against evil influences that
would poison the minds of innocent child
hood that the stock man asks to protect
his stock from contagious diseases-the
protection of the law. The wife and
mother asks only that the same protection
be thrown around a misguided husband
and father who seems to forget the sacred
trust assumed by him hat we would throw
around chattel property to protect the
same from the thief ordespoilcr-only the
protection of the law.
That the law does not always prevent
deadly contagion in the herd or flock; that
the law does not always prevent thievery
or incendiarism would never be offered
as an excuse for removing all penalties for
carelessness, thievery or incendiarism.
1t is not argued that the mere enactment
of statutory law will stop at once and for
ever felonies or misdcmeanors, but it is
claimed that if the law is properly en-
forced it will lessen crime and narrow
down to a minimum the annoying or
direful results of crime against a fellow
being.
1t has seemed necessary at times within
the past few years for the press OF the
Magic City to explain in defense of
charges made by the press of rival towns
that the moral status OF the people Of
Cheyenne is as clean and the intellectual
standard as high as can be found in any
town Of its wealth and population on the
planet Believing such a statement of
the press Of Cheyenne to be true, it was
a matter of surprise to find 4 criticism Of
this bill published in one of the Cheyenne
papers as follows: ''Fhis bill vii not be
passed by the present legislature. That
a prolibitory law which would place gam
bling under surveillance, permit the levy
ing Of periodical fines and keep the vice
on the second floor and more retired is
about what our people want. More han
that will be 4 failure.
Nov, ordinarily l have a good deal Of
-agna.f Low tba .n,ntopg axnroSsad - tha
editorial columns of the Cheyenne papers.
but with the opinion quoted as to what
''our people want | beg to differ. In
the first place moral lanes can be as effect
ualty enforced as any other law if the peo-
pie are in sympathy with such laws-that
Is IF the people arc educated to the proper
moral standard. | believe the general
moral character OF the people of Chey-
enne to be much higher than.the newspa-
per editorial quoted would imply; that the
fathers and mothers in Cheyenne believe
with the fathers and mothers in every
city. town aud hamlet in Wyoming that
the wees OF gambling Is to-day under the
license system influencing the character of
many young men Of Wyoming and instill-
ing IN the minds of the youth of this ter
riiory the false idea that 1t is fair and
proper by legerdemain or otherwise to OBJ
tain money or other things of value from
a fellow being without returning 4 fair
equivalent That this vice is springing
false hopesi in the minds Of the rising gen
Grafton as to the possibilities OF ac-
curing wealth which must result, in al
most all cases, in disappointment aud low
erlng the standard Of morality, and there
by keeping many such men from adopting
more honorable vocation in life, thus of
ten bring poverty aud disgrace on wife
and children through the wrecked life of
l. man who, had he not acquired the pas
sion for gambling before the time of
life that character if moulded, would have
been an honor TO q trade or profession and
a respected citizen true TO all the sacred
duties Of life.
That gambling is an ofiense against the
Doblest nature OF man. That the seem.