The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-03-31

ANAIRNA0AA
is to be decided by the city fathers at
the next meeting OF the council. In
response to your invitation for a full
and free discussion we ask a little
space in your columns. There are no
means which men adopt for money
making more dishonest than gambling,
whether 1t be by betting at horse
race, on candidate, at faro bank,
or by taking risks In futures" and
corners" 1t is thoroughly dishonest.
1t violates the laws Of both man and
God. 1t takes without giving an
equivalent, and hence is robbery.
Again, it is the fruitful source OF
other crimes. 1t has caused the finan-
cial ruin Of millions, plunged mothers,
wives and children into poverty and
shame; it has tempted men to commit
forgery and robbery; 1t has caused men
to take their own lives, and its whole
track is covered with ruin and shame,
fortunes and lives wrecked, reputation
blasted, homes made wretched. 1t is
demoralizing to society, debauching old
and young. All good citizens will
probably agree with me thus far.
Now the question Is, shall we re-
strict, or shall we prohibit the evil?
Some say, ''men will gamble; we can
not stop it; we ought to make those
who keep gambling houses pay well for
the privilege" We hesitate to oppose
those who say, ''let us restrict the
nuisance all we can" we hesitate to
oppose any one whose face seems to
be set against the evil, however much
we may think him mistaken in his
plan Of attack. We oppose license only
because we are most thoroughly con-
vinced that 1t will prove a hurtful. dis
astrous mistake It is not harmless
experiment, 1t is not a step that can be
taken and easily retraced.
We believe that license is legal
recognition Of the gambling house to
exist and that 1t extends to the busi-
ness protection which 1t does not
have under what Is known as the COM
mon law; for under the common law
the citizens of community could pro-
ceed against even a so-called orderly
gambling house. But If once protected
by license permit, It can defy the
unanimous will OF the community.
Again we oppose license because 1t
debauches the public conscience, and
men are led to favor It from purely
selfish motives because 1t helps pay
the taxes We believe 1t the worst
kind Of policy to enrich an evil, as
license invariably does, behind the Gu
pldity of the taxpayer. Again we OPP
pose license because 1t is educating
the community in the wrong direction.
No other thing is 80 educative to the
masses as law. With them, that which
the law permits is right because the
law permits it, and that which the law
forbids is wrong because the law for
bids 1t. This supreme educative power
should be against the evil, and not for
Il. 1t Is the worst of policy to make
the law educate in favor of evil. With
the masses, the knowledge that an evil
is under the ban Of the law is re-
straint
SO that whatever may be the subtle
ties of our theories touching license
and the explanations which justify 1t
with the masses 1t comes within the
scope OF this logic that which the law
permits is right, that which the Law
forbids Is wrong. To license gambling
Is to give It responsibility in the eyes OF
the people. But some contend that II
censing will place safeguards about i
and so elevate the business, II thia
were true It would supply another rea-
son why we should oppose It with
might and main, The business Il
devilish per Sc, and we should do moth
ing to make II seem otherwise. But
the assumption is false.
License will not lessen the amount
OF gambling or remove single temp
tation The effect of a license law Is
TO place the business in the hands Of
more enterprising, deep-pursed. and
dangerous class Of men--men who have
the ability to plan, and the brains to or
ganizo financially and politically. 1t
only places the business in the hands
Of a sharper class OF scoundrels--men
who have both brains and money to
give organization to viliany. A monop-
oily IN any trade or business Is a curse
TO the community. But a monopoly In
the business of robbing men and filling
the land with crime and criminals. will
prove the curse OF curses. But what
is the alternative? Enforce the law.
We are occupying a most dangerous
position so long as just laws are sys-
tematically and contemptuously set
aside. A community that fears to put
forth the effort TO enforce a just and
wise law. will soon have no law en-
forced How happens It that more men
are being lynched for murder than are
executed by a legal process? Because
the community Is so timid In asserting
its rights. that this tlmidity leads to a
tramping OF law under foot In this two
fold form, in the crime itself. and in
it's punishment. The fear that does
not dare to do the thing that ought to
be done. provokes an Increase Of every
evil and every form Of violation. II has
been proved by a hundred years expert,
ence in American politics that the only
safe thing for the people is to do right
and allow Providence to take care of
the results. At all hazards. honorable
men must avoid moral iniouity in polit-
ical and municipal affairs. The expert