The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-03
A ooMPLAOENT SIN.

The most genial of rascals is the Lottery.
1t is well thus to personify it, for, though
to assign it sex would be risky matter,
its characteristics are distinctively human.
It has not only department. of the most
gracious order, butit enjoys the possession
of large business capabilities as well. We
all naturally object to being robbed on the
highway by a ruffian who threatens to in
crease the number of our heads, and swears
in most ungentIemanly manner ana calls
US all manner of wicked names; but the
polite rascal who with a fine manner apol-
ogizes for the discomfort to which he sub
jeets us, and compliments our good taste
in the selection of iewelry, and hopes that
he shall have the pleasure of meeting us
again, and bows gracefully when he takes
his leave, so wins US that anger is impossi-
BILE and only an amused chagrin abides
This shows the great value of form. In
deed: according to the popular estimate,
form is more potent than substance. Vic
tor Hugo's Man Who Laughs, for in
stance, had a most noble soul, but the
eternal grin which cruel surgery had fixed
upon his face was so excruciatingly ridicu-
-lous that the poor wretch was laughed
from the House of Parliament into. the
dark waters of the Thames. Suppose that
the Lottery, instead of being acajofing and
alluring knave, were vulgar, profane and
offensive thief; suppose that instead of
smilingly holding before us an enticing
picture of ease and comfort from sudden
wealth, and jingling musical coins beneath
our noses, he were an uncouth footpad,
smelling of bad whisky and soaring US to.
death with pistol: why, every sense Of
right and decency in US would be shocked,
and we would unleash the bloodhounds Of
the law to run the brutal ruffian to earth.
And yetw know that the low, .ill-smelling
footpad is not. nearly SO dangerous thief
as the Lottery; that his :steaIings do.not
amount, to hundred thousandth part as
much; and that the Lottery's demoralizing
effect is immeasurably greater.
/ But the Lottery is a smooth, polite and
unctuous rogue, and rascaity with such ac-
accomplishments as these. may. often thrive,
as the Lottery does, In the very teeth: of all
the legal and moral agencies created for
it's: suppression. Not only. does it walk
abroad in. the streets OF San Francisco fear
less, though knowing that the law has set
a price on its head; not only does it hob
mob with the police and find pleasant COM
panionship in the society of worthy men
and women who wil solemnly declare that
they have a large. Tespectfor morality and
the law; not only does it go freely. in
and out among. the congregations of the
churches; as pious as. the most deyout /;
not only deesit softly .ehuckle at the idle
laws that hold 1t. aloft asa thing for honest
men to hate, as a mean thief that steals the
earnings of the poor, as. a. petty sWindler
that openly cheats in its play, as. q pro-
motero of thriftlessness and a school forthe
education of gam blers, as a briber of those
/ appointed to enforce the laws, and as a
corrupter of those who by precept and .ex-
ample; are teachers of morality to the
young and the weak; not only: does it: do
t all; these things with exquisite ap1omb, but
/ it has demonstrated its possession Of those
uncommon squalities which enable
it to conduct great newspapers. And we
have not observed that our leading. teach
ers of morality, including the ministers,
have refrained from encouraging the Lot
terry journalistic enterpriseby denouneing
the papers in which the Lottery proclaims
itself f.: :.
:. In competing with abilities so varied ana
conspicuous the proprietor of the. GALL: act
knowledg es the magnitude of his task. If
ever it should become necessary for him to
acquire thief as. q partner he would much
prefer one that is debonair to one that IS
gross and rutfianly, and this means. to say
that if he should be forced to take either
| the Lottery or a: footpad as a partner he
would prefer the Lottery. Whether or not
our able contempo raries take a similar.
| view. of the matter we have no way of
jud ging other than from observing that the
Lottery enjoys large and swinging free
| dom in their columns, and is physically
indeed We might say personal ly-so com
| spicuous therein after every drawing, y
and is manifestly: so eager. to make its: bust:
ness and journalistic association known,
as almost to overshadow the undoubted
| patriotism and personal worth of the. gen.
tlemen who still print theirown names at
F fhe head of their ,aarers.:: g.