The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-06
GAMBLING AND THE LAW.

dependent gives for it's opposition to
any changes Or amendments to the
present gambling law of the state is
that its friends helped to enact it.
This may be a very weighty reason in
the opinion Of the one advancing it.,
but in the minds of the people it may
not be regarded so. While The Ga
zette has not and probably will not
endorse the proposition of changing
the law in conformity with the wishes
of the sporting fraternity, as publish
ed from Helena, it yet insists that the
law is a dead letter so far as it's
enforcement or effect are concerned.
The Independent as well as everyone
else knows that it is not enforced and
that gaming is going on to the same
extent as ever before, with this diff
ference, neither the state nor any of
the communities composing it receive
any benefit. The only ones who are
benefited are supposedly certain Of
ficials, so the gamblers claim, who
make use of the law for dishonest pur-
poses by Matchmaking the gamesters.
When the friends of the %Independ-
ent undertook to stop gambling they
should have played their string as
the expression goes. Intsead OF mere
ly laying an embargo on gambling
with cards, faro and other devices
commonly in use, they should have
included the selling of pools in places
devoted to that purpose. AS the In
dependent truthfully remarks for
some reason betting on horse races is
permitted all over the world, when it
is done on the tracks, which is gam
bling as much as is v~enturing money
on the value of a hand in a poker
game or On the turn of a card pushed
out of a nickle plated box. The bess
that may be said about it is that is
has the sanction of custom. But this
should not be permitted to act, as it
does in some cities in Montana, as a
license to maintain places where pools
are sold on races held hundreds and
in some instances thousands of miles
away. This is a form of gambling to
be condemned as severely as gambl-
ing with cards. 1t may be properly
said to be even a worse and more
dangerous vehicle for the qualification
of the gambling instinct SO strong in
many otherwise well balanced per-
sons, as it prompts many to Iisk their
money who could not be appealed to
Nv any of the more common methods
of gaming. Ample illustration of this
is afforded in the places where pool
rooms are permitted to do business.
Instances are numerous where men
have gone wrong, turned defaulters
and thieves because Of their weak
ness to bet on the ponies n who
were never known to play any of the
other gambling games.
However, to sum up the matter
fairly and candidly it might be just as
we'll to be honest and admit that be-
cause of the Indifference of commun-
tiles gambling is permitted or at all
| events tolerated in them. When the
time comes that a strong, determined
and plainly expressed desire, general
in it's manifestation, arises that gam
bling shall cease, the chances are That
the present apathy on the part OF
certain officials will end and what
ever law may exist on the statutes
will be enforced. But until a healthy
vigorous public spirit is manifested
in regard to the matter not much, II
any change need be looked for. 1t Is
not sufficient that a minority, no mat
ter how earnest, sincere and con
scientious it may be, shall demand en-
forcement of the law. Not until il
becomes the demand of the majority
will anything be done. That time
seems to be still far distant. The ole
spirit of tolerance and liberality thai
characterized the west of long ago is
still present and not until severa
: generations shall have passed may