Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-03-06

A Port Arthur justice Of the peace has appealed to
the citizenship of that city to indicate whether they
want him to enforce the law against slot machines.
Newspaper advices from Port Arthur state that de-
struction Of gambling devices has aroused wide pro-
test, and officers complain they have been handicapped
In their efforts to Danish the machines
It seems ridiculous that q justice Of the peace or
any other officer Of q court should appeal to the citi-
zenship TO direct them in their duty. The state Law
regard gambling devices is very clear, and there should
be no question as to an officials duty. In fact, any
citizen can destroy a gambling device wherever such
device may be found. and no action for damages or
otherwise may be brought against him. The statutes
Of Texas provide:
@The existence Of any gambling house or gaming
table or bank or gaming pharaphernalia or device Of
Whatever kind or character, and all equipment Of such
gambling house, is hereby declared a public nuisance.
No suit shall be brought in any court Of this state for
recovery Of same or for any insurance thereon or for
damages by reason Of any injury to or for the destrnc-
ticn Of the same"
Judge Butler Of Port Arthur Is quoted as saying;
II want to know If the people Of Port Arthur want
TO see these machines used here. and If they don't. J
want the citizenship to stand by me in doing away with
them. ] have been abused by q good many men here
for taking steps in trying to confiseate them, and !
want TO know just how they feel about the matter. !
want TO know whether I am doing right. or whether /
am doing wrong in trying to destroy them. So far no
one has Recommended my stopping them, but q couple
Of gamblers. What I want is public cooperation. They
are getting worse and worse. and are running them
without fear in various parts Of the city. Only the
halfwits are patronizing them. They know they are
built in such a way as TO retain a certain amount of
money and they cannot possibly win from them"
Just how Judge Butler proposes to secure a refer
endum on this question has not been divulged; nor has
he revealed any necessity for such a referendum. What
the citizenship may desire in the way Of slot machines
and gambling dvices il not a pertinent question to refer
10 them. The law states specifically that such ma
chimes and devices shall be destroyed. 1t may require
considerable backbone" on the part Of peace officers
and courts TO enforce this law in some localities. but
IL is obviously their duty to enforce II regardless Of
public opinion.
Public opinion is and always has been against slot
machines and similar gambling devices. Even in the
old days when gambling was p~racticed openly, the slot
machine was regarded with disfayor. They are not
gambling devices in the ssrietest sense Of the term.
No element Of chance enters into the manipulation Of
such devices. They are merely mechanical thieves, de-
vised for the sole purpose Of relieving the credulous Of
their money-mechsnica "gold bricks" which assure a
~esrtsin profit for their owners when sufficiently cred
ulous people can be persuaded to provide the money.
II the Port Arthur officials do their duty there viii
be no necessity Of an appeal to the citizenship for CO.
operation. The law is explicit, and the people Of Port
Arthur. il Is presumed, elected their officers to enforce
the law, not to call referendums to determine whether
the laws should be enforced.