The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-14
Chief Crowley Says the Traffic
Is Growing Less in This
City.
PUBLIC OPINION AROUSED
Foreman Gagan of the Grand Jury,
Postmaster McCoppIn and Others
on the Vice.


publish notices of lotteries is a crying
shame" says the Grand Jury in its report,
the full text of which was published in
yesterdays CALL. 1t is a long time since
Grand Jury in this City and County has
taken occasion to express itself so emphat-
lcally against one of the greatest gambling
evils of the day. And this utterance of
the inquisitorial body that has lust con-
cluded its fabors has served to reawaken
the public conscience on the matter of lot
teres and the newspaper advertising of
them. With this awakening comes the
hope that some beneficial actions will
result.
This jury desires to express to the
people OF the City the commendable course
of such of the dailies as have now refused
to advertise the drawings of the various
lottery companies" says the Grand Jury's
official report, and therein lies compensa-
ton sufficient, it would seem, to urge upon
newspaper proprietors who have the well
fare of their own State and City at heart
the wisdom of disseminating the practice
of publicly aiding and abetting these
Ieeches and feeders upon the young and
foolish.
The recommended OF the Grand Jury
to make the advertising of lottery compa-
MES a felony is certainly good one. If it
be felony 10 conduct that form of gam
bling within the State certainly it can be
no less crime, morally at least, to lend
the columns of a daily paper that goes to
the homes and fresides Of the land, to the
hands of children and those easily tempted
by specious plans for acquiring sudden
wealth, TO the advertisement of one of the
most pernicious forms OF gambling.
Doubtless the agitation that has now
been started will have the result of shut
ting the columns of the daily newspapers
against these lottery frauds. But it is
equally certain, of course, that the sug-
gested law will have to be enacted before
the entire daily press can be purged of
these most baneful, because most insidious,
advertisements. In its report to Judge
Hebbard the Grand Jury expresses itself
as follows on the subject of gambling in
general and on lotteries and newspaper ad-
vertising of them in particular.
Strict attention has been paid TO all reports
that have reached the Grand Jury regarding
gam bling, lotteries and opium dens. The
hearty cooperation of the heads of the Police
Department has been had; still this body be-
HeVeS that gambling Is going under the
eyes OF some of the police officials. Many
places have been closed, and other places
that are suspected but OF which no evidence
could be gotten that would have secured con-
viction have been listed for the benefit OF the
next Grand jury.
There are many forms of gambling that do
not seem to be a crime, and it is these games of
chance that cause the public to think gam
bling is unrestricted. The action of Wells,
Fargo & Co. in cooperating with the Postoffice
Department in refusing TO carry lottery tickets
or transact business with lotteries is highly
commendable. This has, to some extent, ham
Dprpl the lottery pOmnaQipS- bnt the evil still
exists and perhaps always Will. If the banks
and collection exchanges would join with the
Government in this matter the results would
be OF great public benefit
The TACT that newspapers continue to pub
lish notices OF lotteries is crying shame, but
we are advised that it is not within the
province of the Grand Jury TO indict, as the
law is not made TO cover more than INSIDE
meanor in these cases.
This jury desires to express to the people of
the City the commendable course OF such of
the dsilies as have now refused TO advertise the
drawings of the various lottery companies. 1t
Is TO be hoped that other proprietors WILL in
justice TO themselves and to the public, follow
this good example, which will go well in the
line of progress this State is now making.
The recommendation of the Grand Jury is
that the Legislature make the sale of lottery
tickets and advertising and aiding the lottery
business a felony, instead of misdemeanor,
and the verdict OF the maiority OF trial jury
sufficient for conviction. Meanwhile the faith
full administration OF the law, the frequency of
prosecution and the severity of punishment by
Imprisonment as well is fines in every case OF
conviction under the present statutes, would
have healthier effect N restricting the spread,
If not entirely suppressing this great evil.
The present laws on the subject of lot
teries would seem to be sufficient to stamp
out the evil in this community. Yet
these laws have been in operation good
manv wears. and there is to-day a shame
full traffic in the sale of lottery tickets, be-
sides many newspapers whose columns are
open TO their advertisements. There are
both State and Federal laws prescribing
lotteries as illegal. Yet the lotteries exist,
and the gambl who run them grow rich
from the illegal traffic. All this is not a
pleasant commentary on our manner of en-
forcing the State and the Federal statutes
But most OF all are the newspapers who
circulate the notices OF these gambling
concerns TO blame for the continuance of
the evil. When the daily paper contains
plausibly worded articles, calling atten-
ton to (what is probably falsehood) the
winnings of this or that citizen and neigh
Dor. who is said to have gained thousands
OF dollars by the venture of perhaps
no more than a single dollar; when
the Young and the foolish read
in their family journals that lottery tick
cts are for sale and continually being sold
in their community, it is no wonder that
they become familiar with the vice and at
last embrace it, A scheme of getting rich
that seems to have the support OF great
daily paper appears not so great vice as
it otherwise might, and thus thousands are
induced to invest their small earnings in
the hope-a hope that is rarely or never
reallzed-of gaining much by risking the
loss of little. In the end the victim finds
his many small sums amount to even
more, perhaps, than the fortune he hoped
TO gain from their expenditure. And in
most cases he gains not even wisdom with
his poverty, for the vice grows upon him,
and he still hopes, by the risking of
another dollar, to retrieve his squan-
dered hundreds or thousands. 1t is
so with all gambling, but that of
lottery is the most insidious of
them all because it appears to be the most
innocent, and because-alas, that it should
be so-he sees the great daily newspaper,
recommending as it were, and stamping
with its approval, the vice that is impov-
erishing him, or will surely do so if fol-
lowed long enough.
Only cursory glance at the columns of
the daily papers of San Francisco-except
those of the CALL-will show how the law
in regard to lottery advertisements is being
disregarded. Here is one taken
from an evening paper of yesterday. 1t is
a fair sample of all the others, only that
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