Year: 1859

effects in this city which have followed the
action of the last Grand Jury on the subject
of gambling. The indictment of SO many
respectable frequenters of gambling saloons,
the fathers of families, growing up sons,
responsible clerks, gentlemen of the learned
professions, mechanics, traders, merchants,
&c, &c,-has served pretty effectually to
deter these persons from repetition of the
same offense against the laws and against
good morals. The most of them went up
and paid their fines and having suffered the
penalty thus imposed, were discharged from
custody. A much severer penalty would
have been the publicity of their names, that
their wives, their sisters or mothers, their
employers, their guardians. might have
known how they had been employing their
time and wasting their means. This penalty
we had it in our power to infiiet, and per-
haps should have done it, under the rigid
rules of public journalism which never show
respect to persons Of one class, in such mat
ters, more than to another But, it may well
be believed that we were besieged and be-
sought on oil hands. This one asked us, for
the sake of his domestic peace, for the sake
of his wife whose heart would be broken if
he knew that he had been gambling, and
who would lose confidence in him if she be-
lieved that he could have deceived her so
long, not to mention his name in connection
with the findings of the Grand Jury. 9th
ers would have a plea for their poor old
mothers sake, for the sake of her grey hairs
for the sake of her dotng confidence in them
not to mention their names Others had
sisters whose delicate sensibilities would b,
deeply wounded by the knowledge that theiI


would be heinous offense, and who would


magnify the disgrace Of public indictment


into the most monstrous proportions, and, for


their sakes, hoped we would say nothing
promised brides, into whose presence they
would not dare to show themselves for six
months after such an announcement in the
public prints, and for the sake Of love, sweet
holy love, first love, young, immortal love,
to let the seal of silence on this subject re-
main unbroken to the dear ones of their
hearts, that they, the offenders. might repent
in sackcloth and ashes and be enabled TO go
and sin no more. All had their pleas, and
what could we doP Stern Duty on the one
hand told us to remember that we were res
ponsible as public journalist for any neg
leet in exposing the vices which were stalk
ing around us, and that justice required that
the offenders should suffer. On the 9th
er hand, were the tears of women which
would flow at the stern expositions to be
made; the gloom which would invade many
a domestic circle; the possible clawings that
might ensue from the hands of outraged fe-
male confidence the heavy expense to be in
Cured for the offerings of atonement in the
shape of extensive brocades, jewels not less
rare tnan those that gem


"Astarte's bediamonded crown,


Distinct with its duplicate horn,"


and various other requisite cloves" of things
that molify or appease feminine indignation.
All these things and more arose in argument
against Duty and Duty fell, as she has many


times before, fell ANONYMOUSLY and retired
from the field, The thanks we shall get will
probably be numerous curses hereafter. lie
cause we do not precisely agree with these
same individuals on some doctrine of polti
cal ethics, or some trivial question of local
interest


But what we set out to say was that these
indictments by the Grand Jury have been pro-
ductive of great good. The effect has been
to check the evil example of decent and res
pectabe men, which has such fearful in.
auence upon the young scape graces who
think it is immensely smart to go and do
likewise. These decent and respectable men
have concluded to spend their evenings at
home instead of at the faro table and to pay
their debts and their taxes, and to provide
for their families, instead of "bucking at the
tiger" They may probably thauk the Grand
Jury of Yuba county, hereafter, that the de-
vouring jaws of that same tiger have not
swallowed them and their substance


We only hope that subsequent grand ju-
ries will act up to the example. in this res
pect, of the one which has so recently ad-
journed.