The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-11-14
COTTON Fl TT RES.
OUR EDUCATION -----S-S----
IS Z : Came q Chance;
Ettiiai nrcorfer.

The Office II Censor is not lp Ike Gc-
sired. The iauit-;jnGer j. never We
come guest. TO geuerpu, splrt Il i
ia9,e pleasing - alprsee taaa = ll..
p.ove-to po.a, Gus iea4ty ash,r
than u4l.ao and vet. lc wla loves
hi, rclglhor can not lie silent. when
the social machine is laying upon thar
naehbor burdens that are unneee--a-
r, unreasonable and unjust
Let u consider those contracts Tor
the sale Of cotton. not intended To toe
delivered by the seller to the purchaser.
which .,aye passed into our commercial
language as "cotton futures" Let Us
consider them in the light OF the open
air exhibition which has been given us
In New Orleans and New York.
1t is conceded that the cotton crop
Of the present year viii WELD much les.
IN quantity, than the crop OF last year.
The producers were advised, when the
season Of planting began, to reduce the
area Of this crop, that the diminished
yield might bring them better prices
This was done with unexpected una
nimity. The seasons have been 80 far
unfavorable that they have added
greatly to the decrease in quantity.
The producers enjoved a reasonable ex-
pectation that this diminished Weld
might be compensated by a correspond
ing increase of price. This expectation
was realized. The price advanced stead
ily and with equal step as the dinin-
lshed yield became more and more an
ascertained fact. The producer might
rest content, whatever his disappoint-
ment, when he saw the produce Of hl-
toll pass into the markets under the
equal and Impartial law Of supply and
demand. But he is not allowed 10 re-
main content. Suddenly, as if stricken
by a blow in the lace, he is told that he
Is the unwilling victim of a game OF
chance, whose furious excess and heart
less consequence make the widest or
gies OF Monte Carlo appear but trifes
But this is not all. This loss of the
innocent victim hard ana serious as il
Is, may be measured by the standard Of
money. and Is the least significant con
sequence OF the game Of chance. WhoI
can measure the full outflow Of its
influence and results? The press has
given us scenic views OF the game and
the players. The Bull and the Bear
have been brought, all too viyidly.
before our astonished eyes. We have
not been advised, 1t Is true, to adopt
the colOrs of either one Of these noble
beasts but the story or their combat
has been told to us with such charm OF
language as to thrill, and may we not
add, fascnate us? What ambitious
youth, with the fog OF battle ia his
heart, under these seductive influences.
can fail to be either a Bull or a Bear
And vet we have been educated to
believe and to hold that games OF
chance are wrong nay more, that
games Of chance, in public places, are
crimes, because they do violence to the
peace and dignity Of the State. We
have gone 50 far, III our education, a.
to declare that the presence OF a Lottery
ticket Will pollute our mail pouches
We have driven from our midst those
quondam caterers to our ruder taste
the cock fighter and the prize-fghter.
We are improving in our education.
and growing better rs the Years 90 by
We are becoming more sensitive to the
deformities Of crime We no longer
tolerate vice when it comes into our
presence as a monster Of "frghtful
mien." We require it to comb its hair
and put on a decent dress.
But are we not inconsistent in our
education when we drive from our
midst the cock fighter and prize fighter,
and denounce as criminal the man OF
cards who plays bis game OF chance
before the public eye, while we repeat,
with glowing phrase, the exploits Of
the man Of futures" who herald- his
victories from the house tops? Is not
futures" a game Of chance? Is it not
played in public place? Was there
any privacy in the recent maddening
game at New Orleans and at New York
which has inflicted such mischief upon
the toll Of the produce Is there any
moral defence Of this game OF chance
Is there one single element Of virtue in
it? Is it not more fascinating, more
more Wlde-srreading in its
ruinous influences and results than all
other games Of chance combined,
Apart from good morals, Is 1t not con-
ceded that it dominates the market and
sets at defiance the equal laws that
govern price? And Yet when our
keener sense Of virtue recoils from its
presence, we put on orr sOftest gloves
that we may not touch too rudely the
rich drapery OF lis person. We shall