Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-07
THAT GAMBLING CHARGE.

THAT talk In the City Council on
Monday night concerning gambling,
was straight from the shoulder On
the one side Mormon members charged
that gambling existed In this city and
insisted that the city should collect
revenues therefrom. The logic OF their
position is that open gambling should
be permitted ana the city should tax
the vice for the benefit OF the public
treasury. On the other hand American
Counuilmen denied that gambling exist .
ed and conteuded that the running %
gambling halls for the purpose of pro
ducine public revenue was tllesitl-
mate from a legal and an ethical view.
point"
or course, the above Is from the
American" organ which Is doing all in
it's power to protect and whitewash the
misdeeds OF the police department-~and
tho Fates know that task Is an Her
culean one. 1t makes but one state
nent that is true. and then proceeds
TO mlsreprescnt the Mormon" MEM
bers Of the council. and their views with
regard 20 the gambling evil. The state
nnent that is admitted Is that the talk
was straight" from the shoulder.
but from the head. Those gentlemen
simply sought to make clear their posi-
tlon, that IF gambling Is to be per-
mitted here, the city should have the
revenue. 1t should not find it's way
into private pockets. as Is now sup
posed 10 be the case 1t Is
notorious fact that the receipts
have fallen ON enormously In
the police department during the
American party regime. The counter
charge that gambling does not exist Is
not true. That ~ a claim that has oft
en- been made by the heads OF the police
department. and when the News for
the Information OF the "unlnformed and
verdant' crowd that comprises II, fur
nished a long list OF such resorts 1t
became singularly and significantly 81
lent. II is worth remembering that
simultaneous with the alleged suppress
sion of gambling, and the extension OF
protection to openly suspected la
bunco steerera came here in
droves. and were doing thriving blsi-
ness when the sensational denouement
In the ten thousand dollar McWhlrter
robbery came To light. And as this
gentry commenced TO enrich its own
Golfers there was q strangely colncident
decrease in the receipts ot the city.
But thu facts show that crime went on
just the same. The only discernible
difference was, AS stated. that crooks
got the cash instead OF the munich
pality. That is the theory. that liz the
practice. the Mormon" members talked
so straight against. In the city copn-
II Monday night II Is the position
they always have and always will
maintain. II this policy had been pur-
sued the public treasury would not
have been In the embarrassingly de-
pIeted condition 1t la in today. and
the council would not be placed IN the
attitude OF supplicaitng the
for power to extract more
money from an already too heavily
taxed community If gambling Is TO
he allowed. and certain so called gem
tlemen's clubs where games OF chance
are conducted for the fleeing Of strang-
ers. are TO be permanent fixtures of the
city life. and the Tenderloln is to be
made TO yield revenue. then the city
should have it--no one else. That is
all there Ia to the contention OF the
Mormon" members upon this point,
and the Tribune knows 1t through and
through.