The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-01-08
LICENSED
GAMBLING,
An Effort Will Be Made to
Secure It.
EIGHT HOUR LAW
And the Initiative and Referendum Will Be
Important Matters for Con-
sideration.

Old King Faro is hard monarch to
down. Four years ago his enemies
enacted bill which it was believed at
the time would bury him forever in
Montana. At various times since,
however, he has made his appearance,
and at the present time is ruling his
subjects in much the same way as Of
old when his authority was recognized
by law.
During the session of the seventh
| Legislative assembly, which will be
convened in Helena fext Monday !
bill will be introduced restoring IL
censed gambling to the state. The pres
ute books nearly four years provides
heavy penalties for all kinds of gamb-
bling, except betting on horse races
and stocks, which form OF gaming was
omitted from the bill.
The licensed gambling bill which
will be introduced at the coming ses-
! oIOl VII plONluC AlSH llSCAoC anu q
number of restrictions which were un-
known in the old days of legal gam
ing in this state. The bill has not
yet been drawn, and it has not been
definitely settled who will introduce il
There is every probability, however,
that the bill will be introduced by a
| Inc l0, Ci1unr 7 md
Clarke counties. 1t is understood
that the Silver Bow county delegates
favor licensed gambling bill and
that such measure would not be
without support in the Lewis and
Clarke county members.
/ Four years ago the anti-gambling
law was passed by large vote, and
became law. Those who were op-
posed to the measure boasted at the
time that it was unconstitutional and
said that it would not stand the test
of he courts. The law became eff
fective July l, 1897, when all games
throughout the state were stopped.
Subsequently the law was reviewed by
the supreme court on a test case, and
was declared constitutional. Since
then there have been two or three
prosecutions in the state for viola
lations of the law, although in many
cases the statute has been openly vio-
; lated.
Many friends of the anti-gambling
law have long maintained that it i'm
posed such heavy penalties for slight
infractions that it could not be made
effective in the courts. Gambling Of
any kind, with the exceptions already
noted was made felony, the punish
ment for which was a term in the
panitentiary.
1t was the ineffectiveness of the
present law that, to some extent, in
fluenced the last legislative assembly
to pass law providing for licensed
| gambling. The bill, which was in
troduced by State Senator w. E. Tier.
| ney, of BrOadWater county, althoug.,
, in name an amendment to the former
t for the licensing of games of chance
and restricted them to the second
floors of buildings. The bill was pass
ed by both senate and house by good
sized majority and in due time was
sent to Governor Smith. Soon af
ter the adjournment of the session
Governor Smith vetoed the bill, and
the old law has continued on the stot
ute books.
The proposed bill restoring gamb
ling as a licensed institution to Mon
tana will meet with sturdy opposi
ton. No organized opposition
has as yet developed to the meas
ure, and perhaps none will develop
until the bill itself materializes, bu,
the friends of gambling may be GER
tain that they will not have smooth
sailing.
At the same time there are many
who believe that licensed gambling
: is preferable to the present condition
> Thomas R. Kinds, of Butte, who is
; now in the city, is one of those who
: believe that licensed gambling is bet
ter than gambling without license
81 certainly believe" he said at the
Helena today, that if we are to have
gambling, the state should derive q
!, revenue from it. No one can deny
l that there is gambling going or
thrOughOut the state at the DreSen1