St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-30
LICENSE The GAM" !"
Mayor Eustis Said to Be Con-
templating a Startling
Departure.
Gambling Houses to Pay Trib-
ute Through the Munie-
ipal Court.
Coroner Byrnes' Contest Hit
With a Seventh Ward
Sandbag.
Hazen's recommendations -
Trouble From the Day
Divorce Case.

How to handle the gambling evil has
always been a perpleXing problem to
municipalities since gambling became
extensive and fell into disrepute. The
administration which will come inuo
authority next Monday has new
scheme to try Oh the gambling fra
ternity.
If the stories one hears from the in
side of the inner circle be true, Mayor
Eustis and his privy council intend to
introduce an innovation in municipal
government. They do not believe that
gambling should be suppressed entire
ly; neither do they think the tiger"
should be allowed to roam the streets
free as the bounding chamois on the
slopes OF the Alps. They will capture
the tiger, put him in cage, discipline
him for time, then throw harness
over his back and make him Work for
the people. The new administration
will not, it has been authGritatively
stated. allow gambling houses to be
opened wherever a game" can be
started, Oh all streets and on both
sides Of the river. 1t will
restrict the evil to. two, possibly three
houses. 1t will compel the propretorS
to conduct the gambling houses more
on the "club'' plan. Open games, open
to men and boys. will not be tolerated.
The 'dinner-pail-brigade,' as 1t is
called by the ''perfesh," will be barred.
Only those having membership, or
what passes for membership, in the So
called club, will be allowed 10 WOO
fortune at the seductive games of
roulette, faro and poker. Stud
poker may be barred; craps
surely will be, and probably
hazard. The administration will not
take the high moral ground that no
gambling must De allowed. 1t will
presuppose that gentlemen of means
and leisure who find amusement III
stalking gold OH the turn of card
will do it anyhow, and may as we'll do it
under restrictions and all the safeguards
possible. PrOpretOrS of gambling
houses will be held responsible for bar
ring from their rooms the boys and the
''dinntr-paiI brigade" Violation of
this understanding will involve incur
ring the diSDleaSure of the adminiStra-
ton. And that, of course, would mean
''close up."
The system outlined above has been
tried before. The administration that
is to be deserves no particular credit tor
inventing that. The liberal Republican
plan means, practically, licensed gam
bling. This does not mean the Montana
system of licensing gambling. Gam
bling houses will not be licensed in due
and legal from. Their houses will not
be designated by huge black and white
signs bearing Licensed Gambling
House" That would not be allowed.
The state law would interfere. The law
will be evaded.
IL is the intention to license the gam
bling houses as the houses of ill-fame
are licensed. The keepers OF these re-
sorts are taxed fixed sum per month
and a certain amount a head for every
inmate. The tax or license fee is
regularly collected the first Mon
day morning of every month. The re-
ceipts are turned in with the municipal
court receipts under the head of fines.
The same plan, it is urged, can be fol-
lowed with reference TO gambling
houses. They can be taxed a certain
sum, or certain per centage of win
ningS. per month, and compelled to pay
it into the municipal court as fine.
This monthly fine would not, of course,
exempt the gambling house from
raid in case it were the cause of
a disturbance of the public peace.
The arguments one can hear ad-
vanced for this system are many. In
the first place, the statement is fire.
quently made that gambling cannot be
prohibited. If that be true, then. man
ifeStly, the best thing 10 do is to restrict
it, But it is illegal, and has no right to
exist. Let it, then, pay for its prlvi-
leges. A gambling house is leech on
the community. If the leecti be let
live, make it give back to the commu-
nifty portion Of the substance IL drains.
The restricting of gambling to one or
two places has been tried before in Min
neapolis. II has, the Republican poll
ticians agree, worked fairly successfully
better than wide-open policy. Men
about town who keep their eyes open
have never made it a secret
that they think the gamblers have
been compelled to pay taxa license
fee, as it were. Any one will tell you
cred a perquiSGe of the police depart
ment. The incoming administration is
credited with believing that it is better
to divert that golden stream from prl-
vate purses to public Golfers.
This explanation of how the new adj
m inistration will handle the gambling
question does not, of course, bear the
stamp of authoritative announcement by
Mayor-elect EustiS. Mir. Eustis has
shown a striking indisposition to take
the public into his confidence before he
is really mayor. This is the scheme,
however, which has been talked over
among the mogulS. 1t is the plan which
rumor says will be followed.
What the public will say about such a
system is a question. 1t will un-
dOubtedIy accept it after slight show
of reluctance. 1t objected to the fining
system for the houses of ill-fame, stren-
ously at first, then mildly and finally
not at all. That will probably be the
way in this case. Public conscience is
asily soothed and sound sleeper.
BYRNES' WATERLOO.