Butte semi-weekly miner., 1889-02-06
GAMBLING LAWS.
Difficulty of Enforcing ProhibitOry Laws
Against Sure-Thing Games.

Difficulty of Enforcing ProhibitOry Laws
Against Sure-Thing Games.
The people and press OF the Territory
have shown considerable interest in the
bill against certain forms of gambling in
troduced at the present session OF the
legislature by Representative Hunt, the
text of which was published in The MINER
in the issue of January %. 1t is intended
to suppress the "sure-thing" games OF
which this city has had it's share. 1t has
been conceded that nothing permanent in
the way of suppressing such games can be
accomplished unless the Legislature will
come to the front in the assistance OF the
municipalities.
It is essential that, whatever the Legis-
lature may do on this subject, be in the
liue of effectual legislation which will leave
no loophole for the escape of the sure-thing
men in case they should try to fight the
law in the courts. The Hunt bill
expressly prohibits three-card monte, strap
| or belt game, thimblerig, patent safe
game. black and red game, ten dice game,
percentage stud horse poker, percentage
draw poker, twenty. one, high ball, blue
| lay, chuck-luck, short faro, roulette, two
card box faro, loaded dice game, beehive
game, case game, brace faro game, keno,
high-for-luck game, brace game, envelope
game, or any Of the said games called by
different names, or any game or games
| similar to those enumerated in the act, but
called by different names. 1t makes it a
mis6emeanor to keep house or place
where such games are played, and makes
anyone renting house or room for such a
pu pose guilty of a misdemeanor. 1t also
makes county trl lasurer5 guilty OF misde.
meanor who shall knowingly license such
games.
Treasurer Kessler was visited in his Of
fee Yesterday and asked what he thought
of the bill in it's present form. He replied
that it was likely to give he county treas
urers lots of trouble. He thought the
principle of the bill wrong in endeavoring
to reach the evil by prohibiting these games
by name. He said: II have written Mr.
Thompson a long letter in which have
set forth my views at length. What the
legislature ought to do is to pass licens.
ing act in which the license for faro and
poker should be set at its present figure
It should then place such high license
on all other games specifying none and
making no attempt to define what the
Questionable games are by name
as will be practically prohibitory
That would fix the matter
effectually for all time. This laboriouf
effort to define " hat games shall not be
licensed think waste OF time Oh the part
of the Legislature. The names of these
} games will be changed and thu
sure thing men can get license
for them under new name anC
any attempt to prosecute thsm for SO do
ing as provided in the act will be certain tt
: fail. 1t will be much better to put such {
high license on all other games than fare
and poker that there will be no possibilit.
of q license ever being asked for them
Some of the best lawyers in the countr.
: say it is against the Constitution OF tn
United States to forbid man from gam
bling. If 80 you can't forbid one kind O
gambling more than another. But yo'
can place any license on games you pleas
: and that's how I think the Legislator
. ought to reach the evil"