Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-09-22


gambling is not an honest effort to
eradicate an evil. 1t Is a mere shall.
low campaign trick sprung upon
the eve OF an election, with the
object of bringing od!um and
discredit upon one political patty for
the benefit of another. II will not
work. The gauzy film of public mo.
rality that surrounds it Is too thin a
disguise and the public eye will easily
penetrate it. The scheme Is simply
a Republican plot to bring discredit
upon the Democratic party just be-
fore election. II there has been
gambling going on in Chicago-and
nobody denies that there has been
1t was carried on under restrictions
and regulations that reduced the evil
to a minimum. Under those condi-
lions it existed under the admins.
tration of the late Mayor Harrison.
who never pretended that he could
completely suppress gambling and
who never tried to do so. because he
knew, and so admitted, that 1t was
impossible. Other Mayors tried to
abolish gambling, and they succeeded
In driving 1t from its usual haunts
into every little back room Of the sa.
looms aud cigar stores Of the city, and
made more general the Offense that
they sought to suppress. Mayor Har.
rison's plan in this regard has stood
the test of time, and time has proven
his wisdom. Mayor Hopkins, though
q man OF resource and even genius,
himself has not been able to improve
upon the policy Of his predecessor,
namely. to regulate that evil which
cannot he abolished. lie has simply
followed out the way blazed by the
late Mayor in this regard. Every.
body knew where Mayor Harrison
stood on the question Of public gam.
bling. Yet there was no howl about
1t. There were no spasms Of virtue
In the newspapers. City editors were
not compelled to keep 1.-The boys on
the jump hustliny up stories" on
gambling and making material for
"scare heads" about vice In the city.
When Mr.. Hopkins took his seat as
Mayor he announced that his intsn.
ton was to follow US nearly as posi-.
BILE the policy of the great Democrat
whom he succeeded. He has done so,
and the blue.nosed pharisees who
pretend to be the couscrvators OF
their neighbors' morality sat down
quietly and said Mayor Harrison was
right, and the man who follows along
the lines laid down BY him will be
right also.
So there were no compton ITS all
through last winter, spring and sum
mer. But things suddenly changed
In the fall. After sleep OF some
eighteen or twenty months the gOot
people have suddenly been seized will
a wild desire to suppress gambling II
Chicago. The air Is now filed will
their denunciations, search warrants
and writs OF replevin. Faro tables ant
roulette wheels are being pounded
into snithereens on every downtown
corner, and private detective agen'
cies are getting 4 great amount OF
advertisement. Why? Because there
Is to be an election this fall, and the
alleged crusade against public gam.
bling Is a fine gallery play for the
Republican party. THE EAGLE fear
lessly makes the prediction-and We
ask the citizens and voters to keel
our words In mind-that there will
he gambling In Chicago after the fall
election, and the Civic Federation
will not be engaged In any attemp,
to suppress II. 1t Is too bad that
unworthy motives can clOthe them
selves In the garb OF virtue and thus
lead men to false conclusions. But
this Is but the history of man from
the beginning, and 1t will so con.
tinue to the END.