Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1911-12-29
THE GAMBLING QUESTION


question:" Shall the laws of the
State of Nevada be set aside at
the sweet will of the law breaker
or shall they be sustained and car
ried out to the letter? Every two
years the people of the state elect
a number of law makers who as
scmble in legislative session at the
capital of the state and pass laws
for the governing of the people.
Ihis action is in accordance with
the constitution of the state and is
the right and proper action of
civilized people to carry out for
the equal rights of all and the only
way i'll which the masses can be
repr esented and have an equal
voice in their governing.
Two sessions of a state legis-
lature have acted upon measure
which make il unlawful to carry
on gambling within the state.
The law as passed by one session
and sustained by the second session
of the legislature. is known to all.
1t was passed after one of the bit
terest fights the legislative halls
ever witnessed and prevailed by a
vote which could not be gainsaid.
In almost every town or city in
the state, there are some who
decry the law and refuse to obey
its mandates. When they take
part in a gambling game they
know they are doing wrong and a
are flying in the face of providence.
They believe that through some
chance they will escape detection
and work with tnat caution and
subterfuge which marks the action
of the thief who enters through a
basement window in the dark
hours of the night. When they sit
down in gambling game they do
so as a confessed criminal an in so
dong show that they care not for
the law of the land and are imbued
with that idea of their own right
which is held by the anarchist who
knows no law.
Arrests have been made within
the state upon gabmling charges
and in some inst ances tn, men
have been freed from durance by a
jury of twelve men, who could not
see that the law had been broken.
Evidence was produced which to
the minds of the attorneys and of
the presiding judges was conclu
sive yet - jury ruled otherwise.
The time has arrived when the
laws of the state must be obeyed
or we must state to the world that
we are lawless body who pass
laws as a pastime and con 81 der
them as only pleasure and not as
feature of good government
and to be obeyed. If the gamb-
ling law is to be thrown aside as a
plaything destroyed then do the
same with the law against robbery,
forgery and murder and let all the
criminal element have an equal
chance.
Games of chance are being car.
ried on in many of the cities and
towns and the officers are power.
less to secure sufficient evidence
to convict the men because the
criminals engaged in criminal act.
are protected by men who profit
by the carrying on of the games.
In certain parts Of the state the
criminal element has subsidized
u portion Of the press and the
police and officials concerned in
the npholding Of the law, are
, abused and villified because they
dare to do their duty. Men rush
to the Jail to furnish the bal bone
/ which will secure the liberty OF
/ the wrong doer and these guilty
2 men are praised and lionizet
because they openly deted the Law
e of the land and dared to engage
r in that illegal act which n Law
given power has placed under ,
ban and imposed penalty for those
who break its mandates.
The gambling law is upon tn,
Z books Of the state and there Il
will remain until the people, b,
legal act, demand its repeal. Tn,
same laws which condemn gamb
ling also give power for IL
upholding. This power is th,