Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-04-05
FHH POPULAR WOE.
Efforts Of the Salem Police 10 Sup
press Gambling.

press Gambling.
Chief Of Police DilIey is to be com
msnded for his efforts 10 suppress
gambling. II Is carried too openly. IT.
10 probably true that there are twenty
places In the city where games are run.
uing 1t some time ia the day, aud
many Of them for money. There are
probably between one and two hundred
men In this city vine gamble In various
ways, from throwing dice or playing
cards for cigars and drinks, TO playing
for chips and buying wheat options.
While some Of these forms Of gambling
are mere amusement or speculation,
they are games Of chance. While no
one could be convicted Of gambling on
such q charge, all these practices lead
to gambling for money. Gambling is
gambling, whether it IL matching two
bit pieces or buying pools on wheat or
horses. But convicting q man for h
crime when 1t 10 general custom or
practice to engage 10 what he has
done, and the act is not held In coD-
demnatiop by his fellow citizens, is
another matter. Open gambling for
money in this city should be sup
pressed. Secret gambling places will
be kept running, aud the more vigor-
Ously the law Is enforced the more
secretly they will be Conducted. A ser
geant-at-aTms will be placed at the
door. Only the initiated will be per-
mitted to enter. Worse forms of vice,
even crimes, will be committed In such
secret resorts. But not 80 many young
men will be found there. Only those
who are already gamblers, or who will
gamble In spite Of all law and police
will be found there. While gambling
will not he entirely suppressed, society
may be the gamer by restricting It 10
fewer places. Salem has not been
bad town in this respect, and most poo.
pie can see no more harm in a social
game of cards being allowed In saloon
or cigar store than In checkers, whist or
crokinole ut q residence or the Y. NJ.
g. A. Rooms. The associations at the
latter places may be more refining and
less demOralIzing than at the saloon or
cigar store, but not every man can or
will 20 to u residence or Y. M. G. A.
room TO play social game. This Is a
free country and until society can sup
ply an attractive resort 10 take the place
OF the saloon, cigar store, the billiad and
card room, hundreds Of men will fre-
quent these places and while there are
many idle, worthless and even vicious
men who congregate there, there are
men who consider Il emselves ss good
rs any man, and until society reaches
state OF perfection these men are all
entitled TO their own opin ions and can
follow their own methods OF amusing
themselves 80 long as they are not vio-
latlng any laws.
But to return TO the proposition OF
suppressing gambling In Salem. The
Salem police should, and we have no
doubt they will enforce the law against
gambling, The men arrested the other
day were undoubtedly playing cards
for money. One man who had lost
considerable went out aRd complained
aud put the police onto the game. The
game was what Il known as "Twenty-
bean freezsout" IL generally starts
with cigars aud concludes with money
gsmbling. These arrests have checked
gambling not little aud more arrests
ylll undoubtedly follow.