St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-17
THE GAMBLING ERA.

Two great scandals in connection with
gambling have within a short time been de-
veloped, one in the English metropolis, and
one in the French capital. In both cases the
location of the club has been in an aristo-
cratic quarter, and in both instances, the bud
ding developments have been nipped before
they blossomed into maturity. Enough, how
ever, has been learned to demonstrate that
heightened club offers no protection against
deliberate swindling; and further that men
and women of the highest social rank, and
whose general regulations had been
beyond dispute have resorted to marked
cards and other appliances of the kind for
the purpose of plucking the unsophisticated.
In the case of the French club, many names
are mentioned as members, among which are
those of princes, viscomtes, dukes, ambas-
sailors and others of high standing. The
club is thoroughly royal and aristocratic, the
name of no man not of blue blood or sus-
pected of the faint of republicanism ever
being presented for membership. Among
other things charged and sufficiently proved
is one to the effect that a card 'sharp," there
hnOWu dS d WAS Ill tuG VI
certain members, both male and female,
to whom he gave lessons in handling cards
and in the tricks of the profession. 1t is
also shown that, disguised as servants, there
were introduced into the club large numbers
of sharpers, who waited on their pretended
masters, and in thus serving them passed to
them marked cards. "Cold decks' gave
them information as to the hands held by
others, and performed similar service to the
utmost possible extent. All this is developed
in club composed of the very highest in
rank people in France. If such things be
possible in any other circle or coterie in Par
is or in any other part of the worlds
The exposures made of the secrets of
swell club in London, are scarcely less start
ling than those just enumerated of the
French club, known as the Rue Royale Ger
Gle. If these two clubs, composed of the So
called best people of the two great capitals of
the world, are shown to be rotten to the very
centre, to be composed of aristocratic male
and female swindlers, what guarantee is there
that all other clubs are not equally unsound,
and that gambling in no case where the re-
verse is possible, is founded on square
basis2 There is no reason to suppose that
gambling, as rule, is square when cheating
is possible. There is no exception to this as
sertion, that is worth mentioning, either in
the old world or the new, in professional
games, or in private ones, wherever located
1t may e.set down as an unalterable fact
that people who will gamble will refrain from
cheating only when cheating is liable to de-
lection, or when a resort to swindling
methods is not practicable. This may be
asserted of the regular faro dens, of the
poker clubs, and of the games which are
everywhere now to be found in the drawing
rooms of private houses, and which are par
ticipated in by the members of the family, ir-
respective of sex. There have been periods
in the worlds history when there were
heavier stakes played for than at present, but
there is no period in history in which gamh-
ling was so prevalent so widely distributed
through society, so connected with the home
time. In large cities there is a gambling
establishment in every block in the business
portions. There is a poker club sandwiched
between the faro dens; many of the rooms of
the hotels have poker games in unbroken
progress; they are to be found in private
houses; on the cars; and in fine, it is easier
to say where they are not, than where thew
are, and in all these places the rule is that
cheating, if undecided, is allowable. If there
be perfectly fair game in any
place it is so for the sole reason
that there is no participant who
knows how to cheat, or if knowing how.
lacks the nerve to practice it. There is no
truthful dispute of this assertion Every
gambler is to the extent that he is gambler.
swindler. There are men who NAV deny
this, but if they do they are either hypocrites
or else they do not know themselves.
Cheating or the desire to cheat is as insepa-
rable from gambling as the shadow from
light; they are one, and the one cannot
exist without the other. In view
of this fact, and the prevalence of
gambling it becomes question of consider
able Importance as to what will be the ultf-
mate effect of this insidious and seductive
vice on a nation infected with it. 1t must
be that when gambling enters community,
and takes thorough possession of it, the
virtues must step out. 1t may be noticed by
the closer class of observers that, in France
chastity is largely regarded as farce, or a
nonentity; England is covered all over with
the infamies of its leading men and
women; in this country the divorce courts
are running everlastingly to their utmost ca
pacity. There is, at least in this country.
and here gambling reaches its maximum de
veiopment-a laxity in public and private
morals that never had parallel. The mr.