The Critic and record., 1891-04-21

munication from an esteemed COrr5spon-
dent:
10 N, Edtor \ few friends were play
ing Il small game the other night when
curious and unprecedented event occurred.
A jack pot was up and all SIX Of the party
bad gone in, standing one or two raises be-
fore the draw Some drew three, one
drew two another drew one and
player whom ! shall call A stood
pat After the draw there was little
betting but IL soon dwindled down 60
\ lthc pat mani and the party who had
drawn one card--B. These two raised
and back raised quite n number of times
until at lastB called out:
81 have a H.
Hold on I" said A. ~ didn't call.
raised you again.
'Ohl" said A, ~ thought you called"
No, did not. rased'
well, I've told my hand now. Hadn't
we better stop at this2n
1--WE got nothing 20 10 with that in
sisted \. 81 didn't call, and dii raise.
You can see the raise or pass just as you
please
"Oh, well, " said Il, 'if you look at it
that way I'll raise you back, ~ which he
Immediately did.
There was a pause. looked bewil-
dercd, eyed his antagonist a moment and
then raised him once more. Il came back
again rs quick rs lightning, and A, thor
oughly ratified, called.
"Wcll, " drawled B, showing down his
hand, 81 have flush sure enough, but
it's a sequence flush. What is yours"
AN ace full, said a dciectedly, IT'S
your pot
Now what want to know is this: Did
Il have a right to the money when he had
deceived A into betting by that remark,
y have a fl" Did he not pretend 10
think A had called him aud did he not
deliberately mislcad him? I'd like TO
have your opinion on this as there has
been great deal Of talk about the episode
and some very harsh comment on u.
Very reSpN .
The ethics of poker have not been for
mulated. BY general consent it is for
hidden to steal cards or money at the
table to ring in cold deck or to play
with confederate But we know OF no
accepted rule by which BIS little trick
can be punished. Perhaps he took an
unfair dyantage-perhaps he didn't. At
all events A was quite ready to profit by
what he foolishly regarded as BIS inCau-
tious disclosure. He thought b had be-
traycd himself and he tried to benefit
himself thereby. When you analy2e the
game in fact it is from beginning to end
system of attempted deception on one
hand and of resistance TO deception on
the other. 1t is a conflict of shrewdncss
a man sits behind a pair Of deuces and
bets So. This is deliberate effort TO de-
ceive his opponent and make him believe
that he has n 50 hand. Upon the whole,
we can see nothing in BIS play that comes
under recognized prohibition lie tried
10 mystify \, and succeeded. That is all,
Some of our readers who rejoice in larger
experience and who have finer insight
into the game may be able to correct us,
but such is our opinion now.
WHATEVER OTHERS MAY think about it,
the soda-water fountain doesn't consider
its efforts ii2zle on hot days.
A WRITER IN THE Chicago Heidld is
responsible for ridiculous story to the
effect that all the reports of the Presi-
dents speeches are edited by the President
himself before the press is allowed to have
them. The Hcrdld says:
Whenever the President has time to
write out his speech, Stenographer TIB-
BETS makes copies for the use of the
newspaper men. When he makes an inn
prOmptu speech, which he doesn't when
he can avoid il, Stcnographer TIBBETTs
makes the shorthand report, transcribes it
On the typewriter and submits il to the
President for revision, addition, or eX-
purgation. After the President has fixed
il mp to suit himself the newspaper men
get a chance at it.
What absurd nonsense this is II is
very likely that the press correspondents
travelling with the President as his guests
are anxious to send only such reports of
the incidents of the trip as meet his APP
proyal. They are occupying a relation
toward him which is full Of delicacy, and
Just N proportion as they are gentlemen
they will endeavor to meet the obligations
of the situation. But to describe Mr..
HARRISON as "doctoring" his speeches 50
as to make them appear a certain thing in
print, no matter what they may have been
when they We're delivered is simply
idiotic. If the President were travelling
through barbarous REGION and under
circumstances which left the public at the
mercy of his private stenographer, it might
be possible for him to do what the Herald
article says, though we do not believe Mr..
HARmsoN would stoop to do it. But Mr..
HAHmsoN's speeches are reported by hall
a dozen stcnographers in every town where
the distinguished traveller stops long
enough to deliver an address. They are
printed in the local papers exactly as they
are delivered, and, as these papers belong
tO either the United or the Associated
Press, or to both, ana as they go to the
exchange desks of two-thrds of the news
papers in the country, any attempt on
Mr. HARnIsoN's part TO garble or to sup
press his own utterances through the
medium of reports sent direct from his
private car would be ridiculously futile.
OF course, however, Mr.. HARRISON is max
ing no such attempt The story is a silly
roorback, and carries on its face its own
reputation.
TIM POLITICAL ORGANIZATION called the
Knights of Reciprocity, just organized in
Baltimore, starts out by not living up u
its name. It's declaration of principle,
indicates that it will not maintain recip
rocal relations with Mugwumps.
HIS MANY FRIENDS will be glad to learr
that the Marquis III RuDINl is rapidly re
covering from his recent violent attack o
prckly heat.
ONE CONSTANTLY HEARS the impatien
query When is the Long Bridge to be re
moved and a structure put in its steaI
which will not act as a dam We do no
wonder that citizens interested in Wash
ington should put this query and put
with steadily increasing disgust. Tn
Long Bridge is nuisance, It acts as
serious obstruction to the rivers curren
at times when the most rapid discharge i
needed, and is one Of the chief factors il
those oyerhows which from time 10 tim
do such damage in the low-lying parts o