The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-25
T1ERNEY's SENSIBLE IDEA.

demanded from it's employees.
TIERNEY'S SENSIBLE IDEA.
Experience has proved that despite
all the laws and moral crusades gam
bling prevails in every community,
whether great or small, for there are
IN every place men who cannot resist
the fascination of the game. In this
state a law exists against the practice
that it's trainers believed would effect
ually put an end to the evil because
of the severity of the punishment
provided for those convicted Of the
%offense. The very thing that was
supposed would suppress the vice is
responsible for its general prevalence
at this time. The penalty is con-
sidered too severe for engaging Ill that
which the state formerly recognized
as a legitimate calling and licensed the
same as any other business. Realiz-
ing the mistake that was made, those
who are opposed to the practice now
propose to amend the law so that
instead of a felony and punishable as
such, gambling is to be made a simple
misdemeanor, carrying with it a pen
atty no greater than a fine or imprison-
ment in the county Jail. They think
the law will be more effective because
more likely to be enforced. The Ga
zette respects their opinion, but be-
lieves if given a trial it will be found
that such a law will be resultant Of
but little more good than the one now
a dead letter on the statutes.
Recognizing the evil that gambling
in any form is and the injury it works
to any community where it is per-
mitted to exist, The Gazette is as
earnest in it's desire to see the vice
suppressed and eradicated as any of
those who are seeking to accomplish
that object by prohibitive legislation.
But it does not allow it's desires to
blind it's judgment and for that reason
goes OF record as being opposed to the
drastic measures some advocate, being
satisfied that they will accomplish no
greater good than has followed the
Chandler bill, for men will gamble,
no matter what the law says, and if
not in public then in secret. To regu-
late the evil and reduce it to the
smallest possible proportions should
be the aim of the legislators and those
committed to civic reforms. This
can be done and done effectively by
enacting the Ticrney bill, now pend
ing in the upper house of the legisla-
ture. The author of the measure
manifests a thorough understanding
} Of the subject he seeks to deal with
) and the difficulty Of reaching it in an
effective and lasting name By OBJ
servation Senator Tierney seems to
have learned that men cannot be made
good by law, consequently he seeks to
SO hedge in evil that it's indulgence
will be attended by the geatest public
lty, thus shaming men into not
doing that which their own jude-
q ment and conscience should prevail
S upon them to abstain from. What is
9 more, he will succeed if his bill be-
comes a law.
Aside from it's novelty, the Tierney
d measure possesses the quality practi-
cality as we'll as practicability. By
o compelling every man who has a
weakness for guessing as to the ident.
d ity OF the card next to come out OF
the little box, or backing his judgmen,
y OF the value Of a poker hand. with
whatever coin he may have abou,
him to place himself on record as 6
professional gamester is a. long step il
the direction of preventing many who
now gamble only for fun" to eschey
n cards when their playing involve.
something more than the satisfaction
OF being a winner. Men who now
e "just drop in" and venture a small
stake on the turn of a card or revoln.