The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-07-16
small place like Billings, to enter into

Smdll pace IKE BILLINGS, TO enter into
this understanding in advance Of
Butte, Helena, Great Falls, Anaconda
and other large centers of population,
where there is always easy money
for the sports and every inducement
to keep open house, even at the ex-
pense of protection but if we may
believe the newspapers these big
places do not countenance gambling,
except on, the race tracks, and besides
the law says the minimum fine shall
be 500, while Billings establishes
popular prices on a graduating scale
of SIS, $50 and $45." With some
jocular remarks anent the class of
sports who are let off with fines far
below the minimum fixed by law, the
Journal grows serious again and rec
omends that all the municipalities Of
the state adopt the idea which the
correspondent says prevails in this
city and fine the gamblers at stated
intervals, admitting that the law is a
failure, but with a more f~attering
scale Of recognition. The Journal
says that there is not a city or town
in the state that could not make good
use of the money derived and says that
despite the talk of the purists that
such revenue would be sdirty money"
dirtier money than this finds it's way
into the Golfers of every Incorporated
community in the union and spas
modic protests does not tend to, check
the flow. The municipality that can
show notable results in the way of
public improvements that make for
the health and comfort of the classes
that ear i'll afford such comforts at
their own costs is not catechised too
closely by the world at large as to
the sources from which it drew the
income to achieve these results.
The esteemed Journal will find plenty
of thinking and law abiding citizens
who will agree with it on this PROPOSE
ton, but as long as public opinion is
the factor it now is laws such as the
one of which it thinks so little will
be enacted and sparodic effort made
at their enforcement. But it is not
of this The Gazette would speak. 1t
is the belief of this paper that the
correspondent Of the Independent has
misinformed. The Gazette does
believe that an Understandings
has been arrived at between the city
and the gamblers by which
the latter are to be protected" Mayor
George is not that kind of a man,
are the other city officials
constructed along such lines. They
are all conscientious and intend to do
their duty to the best OF their ability
and as demanded by the law. If men
to gamble they will do so in
spite of all the laws that can be
crowded onto the statutes and all the
police and other peace officers that a
city or county can employ. The only
thing they or any other officers can
DO is to cause the arrest of persons
guilty of violating the gambling orI
laws. If the parties arrested
md prosecuted wish to turn about and
again violate the law they must be
prepared to take the consequences of
heir acts. While the law says nobody
shall keep a place wherein gambling
S permitted and if he does he shall
'e fined, it does not command that
peace officers and city or county ofic-
ais shall constitute themselves "shad-
'Ws" to follow those whom they may
suspect of harboring a desire to en-
rage in a little quiet draw or back /
heir Judgment on the order in which
certain cards will emerge from a
title nickle plated box. It is only when
hey nave reason to believe that this
S being done or have positive know
q of the fact that they are required
o act in their official capacity. In the
Instance under consideration this was
and the matter of the imposition
II e was no doubt wholly governed
~ the judgment of the court before
Nhom the arrested parties were ar
aligned. Furthermore, after naming
he places the Journal describes as
arge "centers of population" what
'ther city, better than Billings, can
ay claim to the distinction which such
designation bestoWs? The trouhle