St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-25
THE PRINCE OF GAMBLERS,
He Rules Monaco With Benevo-
lent DeSpOtiSm.


lent DeSpOtism.
Edinburgh last week had the specta-
Gle of Saul among the prophets. The
Prince of Monaco, the virtual owner of
the one country in the civilized world
where public gambling tables are tol-
Grated, read paper before the British
Association for the Advancement of
Science. The subject, says the New
York Commercial Advertiser, was
Ocean Currents" and while the con-
tents of the paper did not set the entire
subject afire, tile personality OF its
reader did raise the temperature along
the Firth OF Forth.
What the prince of gamblers had to
say abunt ocean currents would be
worth considering We're it not that the
prince himself Is better worth IL. He is
tie best possible illustration OF the in
conSruouS qualities that can be COM
blned in single human being. lie is a
grave, Woodworking student, and is
more than ready to devote the leisure
and money secured to him by the most
denOrailZng Institution i'll Cnristendom
to distributing through Europe buile-
tins announcing the ocean currents at
all the Atlantic stations. Regardless OF
moral wrecks, he volunteers to do more
than any other man for the prevention
of physical wrecks.
Perhaps, though, it is unjust to say
that the Prince OF Monaco Is regardless
of moral wrecks. There is not a ruler
in Europe who takes such good care of
the moral character OF his own sub
jects. Not one of them is permitted by
him to patroniZe the gambling tables of
the famous Casino, and since these fur
nlSh the entire revenue OF the princl-
pality there is absolutely no taxation,
direct or indirect, resting upon his sub
jectS.
During the first part Of this century
Monaco was one of the most taX-op-
pressed countries in Europe. No wood
could be heWS, no oil could be made, no
bread could be baked without payment
of tax. The country districts where
these taxes were most keenly felt re-
vOlted and were annexed to the king
dom of Sardinia. Little remained Of the
Principally except the town Of Monaco.
This town at the time the Casino was
established in 1869 contained but 5000
people. 1t now containes 12,000. For
merly its people were exceptionally
Door; now they are exceptionally pros
porous.
Not only does this scholarly prince
forbid gambling to all his subjects, and
enforce his prohibition, but lie looks
after their moral character in other
ways. Not disordery house is toier-
ated in the principality. The prince,
instead of having sold his conscience
altogether, purchases his indulgences
by works of SupererOgat'on. He has
brought the sanitary arrangements of
lis domain to such pitch of perfect
ness that when cholera ragged in the
district of Italy opposite there were no
cases in Monaco, except those of tray
eleTs, who bronght the disease with
them. The TODD and drink Of the peO-
pie are carefully guarded against the
presence of anything that may breed
disease.
The princes government is an abso-
lutte deSpotiSm, but it is benevolent
despotiSm and all Intelligent despotiSm.
No doubt the prince has persuaded him
self that he is giving his people the best
possible government. In fOrbidding his
own subjects to approach the gambling
tables kept for the spendthrifts of other
nations the attitude of the prince is
simply that of the English government
in India, which makes twenty-five mill
ions each year through licensing the
opium traffic, and excuses itself on the
ground that the opium Is all exported.
1t is not a very consistent moral atti-
tude, but we must remember that it was
New Jersey deacon who, when re-
monstrated with for picking toadsto0ls
instead of mushrooms, cleared himself
by exclaiming: Goodness alive, man,
Pm not picking them to eat. Pm pick
ing them to SELL"