The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-27
VIEWS ARE VERY VARIOUS.
MANY MEN HAVE MANY MINDS AS
TO THE GAMBLING PANACEA.

That the Abolition of Alternative
Sentences VIII Mark the Abolition
of GambIIng-One Grand Juryman
Is In Favor of Licensing the whole
Business and Thus Giving Every
body a Share in the Profits--Soiici-
tor General Pro TEN Repudiates
Responsibility for the Witnesses
| Failure to Attend.
That portion of the general presentments
of the grand jury of the Superior Court
that had reference to the continued preva-
leuce of the gambling evil in Savannah,
in apparent despite of every effort mace
to prevent ii, was the subject Of much dis-
cussion among conservative citizens yes
| terday.
Opinions were many and various. There
were very many who thought the grand
jury had discovered the root Of the evil
and that public gambling would be abolish
ed by and with the abolition of sentences
in the alternative. upon convict on of this
offense These are firmly of the opinion
that all that is necessary effectually 10
prohibit the evil is the inhiction of few,
a very few they said, sentences of twelve
months on the chain-gang. They Believe,
and so stated, that if the proprietors knew
that If they were convicted they would be
sent to the chain-gang and net merely
have to give Up a portion of what they
made, very short period would ella Sc
before they shook the dust of SAVANNA
from their feet and left some of the dust"
they would otherwise have collected in
the pockets of the more foolish Of its
citizens b.!
One wel-known gentleman. himself a
member of the grand jury by which the
much discussed presentments were return
ed, had possessed himself of a very diff
feFent opinion.
II take very little interest in the whole
matter" he said, land took but little more
when the grand jury was considering the
matter of indictments against the keep
ers of gaming houses. Various plans have
been tried at various times with the
! avowed ostensible object of prohibiting
gambling, and yet 1t continues to thrive
and flourish like the green bay tree. Its
more distinguished opponents are like the
lilies of the field: They toll not, neither
do they spin, and yet Solomon, in all his
glory, was not arrayed like one of these
More than that. they find themselves in
position to make considerable yearly or
| semi-yeary contributions to the registry
of the court, without showing any signs
of financial Inconvenience"
"If they are going to keep it up, no
matter what is done, and 1t looks that
way, it seems TO me that the best thing
to do would be to License the business and
! let the taxpayers generally reap the ben
| eft of the fines and forfeitures that now
go from the pockets of this class of con-
| vieted violators of the law to a few of
| the officers of the court. Licensed, they
| could be controlled, and l firmly believe
that this would be the best thing the Leg
| islature and the city oolid do / don't see
| why the grand juries should be called
| upon to work themselves UP to a fine pitch
of moral frenzy, that results in absolutely
| no improvement of the moral condition of
the city. If public gambling is to continue
to exist. we ought all, every citizen of the
| community, have share in the profits.
| This license would give U.S."
| When Mr.. r. l.. Colding, who has been
acting as solicitor general in the absence
of Mr. Osborne from the city, was seen
in reference to the grand jurys gem
eral presentments he was somewhat an
noyed at the statement that the grand
| jury, with the means at its disposal"
! found 1t difficult to obtain the evidence
necessary 10 support an Indictment
You may say this for me- said Mr..
| Colding. II had absolutely nothing to
do with the preparation of the lists of
witnesses or the issuance OF subpoenas
| for these witnesses appearance before
| the grand jury. By its request / exam
| ined the witnesses who did appear be-
fore It and with this examination my
! connection with the matter, official or
otherwise, ceased and determined. l told
the grand jury at one of It's sessions that
| If any of the witnesses who had been
| summoned at it's instance failed to APP
| pear and II would so inform me, l would
| have attachments issued for these abb
sent witnesses arrest and have them
brought Immediately before the grand
| Jury or che court. If the witnesses fall
| ed to answer the questions propounded
| to them or answered them falsely She
| grand jury had its remedy; in the first
| instance by a rule for contempt of court
| and in the second by a prosecution for
perjury. The machinery of the law is
ample for the correction of the abuses
of which the grand Jury complains, and
that machinery. as 1 told the grand jury,
would have been. promptly placed at its
| disposal upon its request"
Judge Faligant said that attachments
| for witnesses who failed to obey the SUBJ
| psenas issued at the request of the grand
! jury would also have been issued at its
/ instance.
1t is stated that the g and jury that has
just been d enlarged is preparing for sub
mission to the next grand Jury a volumi-
nous statement of the Information it has
| collected on the gambling question during
the time 1t has been in harness. This in
formation the retiring grand jurymen
think, will b. of service to their successors
and enable the latter 20 avoid some of
the errors of judgment they acknowledge
have been committed in the past.
Nobody takes very seriously what the
grand jury had TO say on the subject of
| corruption al the polls. OF course, every
| good citizen recognizes that such condi-
tons are appalling and that something
ought to be done, but the good citizens
| recognize also that many are responsible,
directly or indirectly for the purchase of
votes. In general Elections In the past the
ptrchasabin'y of a certain element of the
vote has been taken as a matter of course
and provisi n made for 1t. In primary cleo
items the Distinguishing difference seems
TO be that the votes are worth and bring
mere money.