The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-07-22
THE SLOT MACHINE ORDINANCE

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Ordinance No. 1870 published in
this issue, and inserted by mistake
in previous issue in place OF Ordin-
ance No. 1872, provides for the closing
OF slot machines, and prohibits any
and all games OF chance within the
city limits, ii played for any object
other than amusement or mere test
of skill.
The above statement covers the
condition, and while the petitioners
asked for an ordinance against the
slot machines, when 1t comes to leg
islating, the phraseology of the law
is generally made along principle
rather than directed at things speci-
fically.
Doubtless many who signed the pc
tition did so not knowing that such
an act would bar them from doing
things they have been in the habit of
doing and which they wish to con-
tinue--drawing prizes for example.
Railing quilts and pillows at church
festivals to get money to carry, on
church work. But those who object
on these latter grounds only show
their own Inconsistency, and their
views will probably not stand analysis
any better than does the view OF the
saloon keeper who wants to continue
his trade.
The gambling habit is getting very
strong, and 1t is also being very much
frowned upon and with reason. For a
long time people as a rule have OBJ
served only the worst form or the
results of the gambling habit, and
they have been satisfied to condemn
that. But in a multitude of ways
these same people have been educat-
ing young people into the gambling
habit by drawings by raffles, by teach
ing them games which are innocent
in themselves and then offering prizes
to the winners. The boy who sees his
mother entertaining those who style
themselves 1.-The best people Of the
town." and employing their time with
games Of chance, finds it difficult to
respect her council not to go into
public places to do the same thing.
The principle is the same.
The ladies aid or the women s
auxiliary or the guild or the altar So
ciety that gives an entertainment or
bazaar and has drawings for prizes
and blanks, and raffles a quilt or a
pillow or doilie and takes peoples
money without giving any value to
more than one in the whole ring of
participants has always had a hard
time explaining why this was not
gambling, and generally they make
an excuse that the money is to be
used for good purpose and that the
end justfies the means, but that is all
rot. 1t is gambling SO far as it goes,
and is bad form of gambling be-
cause 1t reaches new victims and ini-
tiates them into things they have
been taught to regard as wrong, or
dangerous paths to follow. FL
Some say they go to SUCH places
to part with some money and that
they do not enter into it attaching
any consequence to the outcome, and
that 1t is carrying the principle too
far to condemn it. 1t may also be said
that the laborer who comes in from
long siege in the hills, comes to
squander some money and that he
engages in games for the fun Of the
thing, but the fruits of such business
have been so disastrous that it is uni
versally condemned.
New Workers who wanted to en-
gage in race track gambling have
been having hard time convincing
Hughes that such things are neces-
sary or that it is impossible to stop
them. The cry that it would ruin
other lines of business too, has prov
en- bug-a-boo, and New Workers
still live. The fact that men had in
vested money in gambling devices and
were liable to lose them did not pre-
vent people from demanding that the
mania be discouraged.
When the price OF gambling devices
is matched against character with q
proposition to sacrifice character to
save the device or vice versa, there Is
no room for argument and there
should be but one answer in the mat
ter Property rights are never en-
titled to the protection OF the state
when using such property is mem
ace to the state.
u9rhncfu'e Vanilla, The aristocrat