New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-21
Intellectual Games.

The internal revenue law requires that
all packs of playing cards shall be stamped
with one cent proprietary stamp, whether
manufactured at home Or imported. In
case Of imported cards the dealer stands in
the position Of the manufacturer, al to tax
and must stamp his cards. Under this law
frequent seizures of unstamped playing
cards have been made. No exemption can
be granted on account Of the respectability
Of the dealer. Cards found In the show
cases Of religious bookstores, in the same
tray with embossed prayer books and
| vellum Bibles. must contribute their mite.
The excise law on playing cards knows no
favor for whist over faro. But the line of
distinction must be drawn somewhere, and
a court has been called upon to decide what
are playing cardsf The law is very unsatis-
factory in not being explicit in its applica-
ton; it says nothing of euchre, pedro, casino,
or any purpose for which fifty-two pieces Of
illustrated pasteboard may be used. The
majesty of the law hangs upon the simple
words, ''playing cards." and nothing but
knocking the spots out of the pack can
knock the internal duty off from the cards.
The law comprehends all things, but few
comprehend the law. Cards of admission
to a playhouse are in sense playing cards,
where the "ante" is one dollar, and the
"pot" pays the actor. Visiting cards may
also be termed playing cards; the visitor
'deals" you one as he drops in to inquire of
your health, and hopes to 'see you BETTER"
in return ycu ''call" ON him, and Ego in.''
If q young man visits rich widow he is
expected to play his cards shrewdly; if he
is euchered he will keep whist about it, but
the great games go on
What calls up the card case now is the
seizure in Virginia, by revenue officer, Of
lot of unstamped cards which were
manufactured for the purpose of playing
the game known as Authors" These
cards are made by a good man in Masss.
chusetts for the purpose of fostering intel
lectual arnusements, and reaping ninety
cents profit ON the dollar. Standing upon
his intellect, and considering the profits,
the manufacturer declines to stamp his
cards. We shall see. One of the great
Cesers of Virginia las seized every in
tellectual deck found in the Eighth Dis
trict, and the case will come before the
courts The plea of educational divertise-
ment will hardly hold good before South
ern judges and lawyers who know not one
card from another. Besides the game
itself is questionable. It is played with
score or SO Of cards, the faces of which bear
a portrait or sketch of some popular author,
classed as historian, humorist, novelist,
biographer, poet. journalist, and so
on, and the game is-t0 draw,
match, make stacks, books, pairs, count
and get out. For instance, you hold Horace
Greeley and call for Henry j. Raymond; if
Raymond is not ont you draw for him, and
are just as likely to get James Gordon
Bennett, whom you do not want. Some
one holds Henry Ward Beecher, a lady,
perhaps, who is anxious to get the next
card to make q pair royal or stack Of the
divinity group. She calls and draws, and
is just as likely to get Josh Billings ss Mr..
Talmage, and it may be long time in the
game before she finds match for Beecher.
Considering every point in the game, we
see no reason why a pack of ''authors"
should not pay a tax Of one cent. As
game it is no more moral than telling for.
tunes at q church fair, no more amusing
than solitaire, no more intellectual than
cold Maid" or "smut'
On the other hand the cards not in dis
pute are used to play games which have
amused and engaged the attention Of mas
sive intellects from time immem0rial. The
kings, queens and knaves have from the
tyrannized, graciously ruled and
swindled nations. Whist has power to
draw bald headed man from the parlor at
IN evening party; game of euchre is d
greater study to many man than his fam
y; while poker has no rival as means for |
stimuli ating the intellect. Members of Con.
yress play poker, and the effects are seen in
heir great speeches; ministers of state ard |
absorbed in its technicalities, and havb |
spent many OF the best years of their lives |
n writing and revising rules and regula- |
ions for its moro uniform playing. 1t |
luickens the brain with seeing" "going
A." "making good" "raising," and many
qualities; and it is nationalizing
n its influence, drawing together great and
title thinkers, Democrats and Heather
;hinee. 1t is also intensely amusing to all;
ometimes the laugh being on one side and
ometimes on the other side of the table. If,
hen, any preference ON account of 'intel-
ectual amusement IS to be considered, it
ppears as if the merits of the poker deck
ays over the pack of authors.