The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-02
Is FARO IMMORAL 7
Important Question Left for the
Legislature to Decide.
THE ISSUE WELL DEFINED.
Betting Il In Favor Of Judge Sashs-In
Fort Townsend Every One
Plays the Bank.

OLYMPIA, March l.-tSpccial. 1.-The de-
Tense in the Sachs trial expects TO COM
plete its evidence tomorrow night and TO
finish its argument by Tuesday. A vote
may be reached on removal by Wednesday
or Thursday. Both sides have conducted
their cases in very able manner, and
il it required simply q majority vote
to remove, the result would be very
uncertain, but under the provision in the
constitution requiring three-fourths vote
of all the members elected in each house
Sachs has strong advantage. The prose-
cution must secure fifty-nine votes in the
House and twenty-six in the Senate. The
average attendance in the House is gem
orally from sixty-fve to seventy, and in
the Senate from twenty-six to thirty.
With maximum attendance it will be
seen that II there are twelve negative
votes in the House or five in the Senate,
Judge Sachs will fill out the term
for which he is elected, unless
he resigns or dies. The sentiment OF
the members is strongly against him, but
it is by no means unanimous. The most
serious charge against him is gambling.
for the prosecution has not very damag-
ing case on the charges of malfeasance in
Office. The verdict rests upon the light IN
which the members regard the judicial
pastime Of "bucking the tiger" and if it is
an offensc that should be punished by
removal from Office.
The common argument against Sachs Is
that he is q common gambler, being a
chronic faro player. Gambling is crimi-
nal. Judge Sachs is therefore a criminal
and unfit to sit in Judgment upon other
criminals. The friends of Sachs set forth
that he is not by any means an habitual
gambler, and that he never neglected his
duties to indulge his weakness; that he is
. Just Judge and that faro playing is not
q malfeasance, delinquency or corruption
IN Office"
A very important ingredient of the testi-
mony adduced so far to the state of public
sentiment in Port Townsend on the sub
ject of the Sachs case, and counsel on both
sides have neglected no opportunity to
disclose whether Sachs is or is not popu-
lar man. This variety Of testimony
has been objected to . number
of times, but without avail. The
members seem to think that the
question is not solely as to whether or not
Sachs is guilty or innocent of the charges
of gambling, but as to what his own people
think of . Judge who CANDLES. A few
members use the curious argument that
the people Of Port Townsend knew what
Sachs was when he was elected, and now
they should be compelled to abide by their
own choice. Their testimony would tend
to show that faro-playing is an
amusement quite popular in Port
Townsend. and that the education
of no young man is quite complete until
he has dropped a few dollars on the ace.
and is fairly skilled at keeping cases." In
playing faro, therefore, Judge Sachs was
simply adding to the sum of his social &C.
complishments, and it seems little hard
that he should be held accountable for in
dulging in a pursuit so fashionable and 80
essential to a creditable standing among
the boys Of Fort Townsend.