The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-08-08
LAZY MANS COLUMN.
He Expresses His Opinion
ON Social Matters.
PLAYING CARDS FOR PRIZES,
Bicycle Riding and Sabbath Desecra.
ton Touched Up. What He
Thinks.

The two events par excellence,
socially speaking, of Marietta mp.
pertendom," are the winter and
simmer entertainments rendered by
the Ladies Euchre Club to their
gentlemen friends.
The elegance of the prizes, CONS
pleteness of appointments, and the
acknowledged social position of the
membership, give it an undisputed
pre- eminence as a social function
and cause it to be talked of and
looked forward to with more inter
est than any other feature of "sas-
siety." *
The regular summer meet held
last Thursday evening at the home
of Mr. Winters was behind none of
its predecessors in any of these par
ticulars.
The personnel and appointments
were distinctly EAU TAFT" and the
prizes very handsome.
~ .se-
1t is Of these prizes that | want to
make few remarks, not critically
or with any severity, q couldn't
afford that, you know, for ! was
there and hope to so again. but
merely tor the interest that attaches
to the subject, and that is, "Does
the awarding of prizes involve any
mora. wrong, and, if a judge and
Jury could be found SO lost to
consideration for the fair sex,
would the participants be liable
to Indictment and criminal pros
ecution2 In no part of the union
has the wide awake moral legislator
been more persistent in his Efforts
to put sumptuary manacles on the
tickle goddess of fortune to protect
his guileless constituents from her
wiles than here in Georgia.
Law after law has been enacted
on the subject until even the harms
less little nickle in the slot device
! had to close it's little slot and retire
| to the moral shades of oblivion. So
comprehensive are the laws, State
5 and National combined, THAI news
: papers have been compelled to
; abandon certain schemes for in
creasing their circulation, rafiles
: ale in violation of the statute and
special enactment have placed even
, private wagers under the ban. OF
course all, or nearly all, OF these
5 laws we're enacted to catch bigger
fish than the nickle in the slot ma.
chine, raffies and newspaper lotter-
les, but the blind goddess of justice
can't see the size of its character.
"Gane" is defined by Webster, ito
play or game for money or other
| stake" and that the players were
out for ''the other stake" one had
but to watch the intense interest
written on each face. The pleasure
at winning, the disappointment at
) loss and the disgust at poor part
ner. Decidedly | should say that
a great many of the players were out
for the prize, and while / should
call it gambling of mild form. still
under the statuary construction Of
the law it is gambling.
:E..#
Apropro of the above ! remember
that several years ago Chattanooga
society was intensely wrought up
over the presiding Judge charging
the grand jury to investigate the
social games OF cards at which prizes
we're awarded, and find true bills
against those playing. AS for the
moral aspect, | am very liberal on
that subject and where amy games
OF chance is played fairly and above
board l can see no wrong in it.
But on that point l can't say that |
am reflector of public opinion as
most people consider gambling es-
sentlally wrong.
~
The Club disbands until fal: with
the grand jury yet to hear from. l
close my remarks on the subject
with kindest regards to the Ladies
Euchre Club and may its shadow or
membership never grow less.
#s#
1t seems to be popular nowadays
to jump on bicyclist, women bicy-
clist more especially. Now our local
lady wbeelmen are entirely too
charming for me to begin to do any
thing like that whatever my person
al views may be. What / want to
talk about is Sunday riding. To
my mind getting on 3 bicycle and
riding around over the country is as