Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-03-01
THE GAMBLING BILL.

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Senator Tierney's gambling bill
which, as we understand 1t, simply
reduces the penalty for violations OF
the law, has passed the senate by a
vote OF IL to 8. In the Chandler bill
gambling was made a felony, and a
great many hold that the penalty
was so severe that 1t was impossible
to secure conviction and hence the
law miscarried In its purpose. There
may be some truth In this. But there
Is danger that the penalties may be
made so light that offenders will pur-
sue their nefarious vocation, inviting
arrest as u sort Of license for 40 do
ing. The professional gambler IL so
devoid Of honor and self-respect that
the imposing Of a fine would not de-
ter him from returning to his chips
as soon as possible. 1t may be that
lighter penalties will lead to stricter
enforcement Of the law, but we have
serious doubts Of such being thecase.
The trouble il not 80 much with the
law as with the peace officers, who
in some cities and towns stand in
with the gambling clement in order
to make their promises good for past
favors and to perpetuate themselves
la Office. 1t may not be the duty OF a
sheriff to ferret out offenders, but
there are some so blind that they
could not see a gambling game car
ried on right under their eyes, and
would make no arrests il they did.
Such men are not fit to hold office in
any community. II public gambling
exists in Montana it is the fault of
the people In t%olerating incompetent
and d~ishonorable peace officers.
A disgracelful state of affairs exists
in Anaconda. 1t looks very much
as though the city council and the
police force were beneficiaries of the
gambling fraternity. A fine class of
men to govern a city. Does anybody
suppose for a moment that they
would enforce any kind of n gamb-
ling law? Even the Butte Miner, a
Democratic paper, comes to the sup
port of the Republican mayor In his
fight against the gang. 1t says:
Mayor Lesser Of Anaconda is hav-
ing a struggle with the gambling
problem which eclipses anything in
the history OF his troubled admins.
tration. The mayor is earnestly and
honestly in favor of a vigorous en-
fOrcement of the laws. Unfortun-
ately he found himself at the very
outstart Of his official career handi-
capped by m adverse majority In the
city council. The mayor il a Repub.
lican and the council il Democratic.
The two Ivy acting in harmony could
have made Anaconda one of the best
governed cities in the country. But
the city council started out to throw
every obstacle in the mayors way.
IL refused to let him name any officers
who would be In accord with his
policy. 1t was n party advantage,
but such a party advantage as is
more liable to hurt than help a party.
The mayor wants gambling stopped.
The old police force, which IL kept in
power by the council, does not. A
few days ago the mayor removed a
policeman for neglecting to do his
duty In arrestiDg a gambler. The
city council met and reinstated the
offending officer. BY doing this the
council gave an official Democratic
Enforcement to gambling in violation
of law. II the people of Anaconda
rise in their might this sDring aud
~re-elect the present Republican mayor
and a city council that will uphold
him In his efforts To give Anaconda a
good clean administration the Demo-
Gratis must lay their defeat to the
present Democratic city council. And
the people are liable to- do IL even
though they have no newspaper to
plead their cause.
Ii the people give peace officers and
Others In authority to understand
that they were elected to enforce the
law and represent taxpayers instead
OF the gamblers, there will be no
go. r.