St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-20
PLAYING THE RACES.

Playing the races" has become of
late years an evil that calls for more
than passing comment. For years it
has been growing, until today it has
become almost universal. 1t pervaaes
every class and condition in life. The
capitalist risks few dollars on the re-
suit of horse race ''just for flyer"
the clerk follows his example in the
hope of gaining few dollars easily. the
mechanic invests a dollar or two in the
pool box in the hope that be will strike
a winner and be able to enjoy S few
Injuries, and the gambler does the same
thing because it is his business. But
none of these people make it pay except
the gamblers. These know the strong
and the weak points of every starter in
race, and all things being equal can
pick the winner with a reasonable de-
gree of certainty, They calculate the
odds carefully, and can place their
money in such manner as shall give
them large return IL they win and
small loss if the fates are against them.
If they find themselves mistaken in
their first investments they "hedge,"
and il the chances favor them they
''press their luck" and generally come
out ahead at the close of the season.
The many reports published of large
winnings have tendency to stimulate
the betting fever among those who have
even slight attack of it. Perhaps those
stories are all true; perhaps, and most
likely. they originate with the pool SELL
ers, whose interest is served by pro-
noting the gambling mania. Undoubt-
eddy few really do win considerable
sums, but these are the exceptions. not
the rule, and for every man who wins a
round sum there are thousands who
lose. And the losers are those who can
least afford it. They are men of limited
means, who, as rule. work for small
salaries, and at best have hard time in
making both ends meet. If they lose
they are compelled to deny themselves
and their families many iuXuries and
even comforts; if they win they .slive
high" for few days. and when their
winnings are gone put their noses to the
grindstone again with as good a grace
as they can command.
playing the races" is, too, prolific
source of crime. Many a man there is
who takes a bank note from his en-
ployer's drawer to bet OH the race track
III the hope that his winnings may en-
able him to pay it back and leave him a
pretty balance besides. If he wins he
usually repays the loan, even though it
be forced one. II he loses, he is COM
PEELED TO take the sum out of his next
salary allowance, or resort to fraud or
forgery or false entry to conceal his
peculation. Having taken the first
downward step thonghtlessly, is easier
to take another, and day by day he be-
comes deeper involved. until discovery
ends in his disgrace. Not few of the
occupants of our prisons can trace their
downfall to the temptations of the pool
room and the fasciuations of the race
track.
playing the races" is a hazardous
business for young man. There are
pitfalls everywhere. There are tempta-
tons to theft and breach of trust; there
are allurements 10 dissipation; there are
incentives to neglect Of duty and to evil
associations. No young man can play
the races and attend to his legitimate
occupation faithfully. Ii he wishes 10
abandon all honorable occupations and
become professional gambler, this is
perhaps as good a start as any for him
to make. But what man of good family
and careful training can afford to do
this? There is much of enjoyment of
a legitimate character to he had ON the
race track, but the betting ring is to be
avoided as plague. No good, but much
evil comes from patronizing it.