New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-03
SENATOR STLLITAN'S "LTCK."

Dramatic situations are frequent in places
where gambling is carried on as profession.
The pursuit itself Is productive of them its
most natural and legitimate fruit. They consti-
tuic its chief fascination. Nothing is more drl-
matte than for a man 10 sit down at n table poor
and get up rich or vice versa. sit down rich and
get NJ poor. In the one case he is liable 10 get
drunk and scatter his gains profllscly. which is
always more or less dramatic: in the other he
is liable to blow his brains out nj the table, which
is much more intensely dramatic being actually
tragic.
There was dramatic situation. or rather
two Of them at q gambling house just outside
the limits OF the village Of Saratoga last Sunday.
4 statesman Of high degree, 10 wit. State Sen
aior Timothy d. Sullivan. known 10 fame rs
DRY Dollar" Sullivan. sat in az the game.
The first dramatic situation was when. the states
man had lost all his ready money. running into
The thousands Il Is said. Being sclfpOsscSscd
and not sucldally inclined he did not blow his
brains ont but confidently asked the dealer 10
lend him 500 Statesmen of high degree never
nck confidence The dealer did not respond
with alacriiy as he said 1t was against the rules
IF the house: but upon reflection. offered him
a loan on his own personal account With lofti-
ness II soul betting his high station the Sen
aior declined the undcrling's Offer and left the
table This ended dramatic situation number
one.
Presently meeting a friend. with whom he
appears 10 have been In excellent credit. h. So
cured a loan ~ $500 Being in hard luck him
self he requested his friend. who played with
4 system" TO sit In ut the game" and play for
him. CWhlcI makes one wonder why the friend
ul
own account In the language Of the news
paper report. which sets forth the story In
mos, impressive manner with startling head
lines beginning with Dry Dollars Luck at
Play" and ending with Went Away Rich and
Happy" everything wen, his way" The
stacks ~ chips" steadily increased in front IT
him until be- had whatamountcd TO $4,000 on the
table Satisfied with this. The statesman told hiA
friend TO cash in" whcrcupon the $4,000 was
a, the report runs. rather gr1idglnsly" paid over
20 him. and the TWO. having split bottle Of
wine" returned 10 the village Of Saratoga. This
was the end II dramatic situation number two
Curtain
II was great luck Not unworthy, perhaps. or
the detailed account and the startling headlines
which exploited 1t in the daily press But In
how much greater luck is this sovereign State
In legislative functions Of statesman self
possessed and habItually calm that he can lose
several thousand dollars alta sitting with phoso-
ply and afterward rccoup himself with debera-
ton without ever shooting himself or so much
- turning Il hair. Consider too. that when Sen
ator sullivan was sitting in at the game on
sunday afternoon he was furnishing practical
illustration Of the doctrine cnuncialed by other
great .h, II his party. beginning with Sen
aior Hi and coming down 10 Collector Edward
Crosse. that laws are made not 10 be obcyed
absolutely. but only when convenient ana agree
able For gambling j. prohibited in this State
not only by statute. but by the Constitution. the
organic law. Statesman DRY Dollar Sullivan
sitting IN AT u game" losing and winning
thousands. i IN obicctesSOn for the simple
minded fools who labor under the Seluson that
laws are made 10 be- obcycd by everybody.
Statesmen like Sullivan and I'LL and Crosse and
the others If lower order Of craftsmanship
who run saloons know better They know that
laws which hinder the citizen from getting drunk
on sunday. or from winning or losing thousands
Of dollars at gambling games are IN infringe
mcnt Of personal liberty and not TO be- obcyed
And il Is a highly instructive spectacle when a
lWmakcr Of the cmncncc OF Senator sullivan
rises superior to the laws which he helps TO make
and demonstrates in the most concrete form how
they are 10 be construed. And then. AFTER all,
many persons will ask in their simple minded
ignorance what the laws are for anyway. The
voters Of the State may have that question TO
answer at the next election. Senator Hi ana
Edward Crosse and The rest seem to think so.
We'll. what will be- their answer! We shall see.