The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-11-16
THE ELECTION GAMBLERS.

make and unmdke fortunes. "A
man simply happens to think the
right way and becomes rich. He
thinks the wrong way and loses.
The disposition of excited and
ignorant men to hack their Judg-
ment' in the results of elections,
has created during late years, a
class of men who are experts in
foretelling election events and
make most profitable business
out of it, just as they establish
pool rooms and make up betting
books on horse racing.
The predictions of the average
man about political events is u.s.
ually worthless, because he is
partisan. He fOrtells, as his pas
sions and interests direct him. In
the last great American election,
seven millions of voters predicted
the election of Mckinley. About
six and one-half millions predict
ed the election of Bryan. The
opinions of the partisan political
press is formed in a similar way.
The gamblers on elections make
a careful study of the situation,
just as they study the pedigree
and records and points of race
horses. They are cold-blooded
men, that is, they have the faculty
of laying aside feeling, enthu-
siasm and hope, and study the
drift of thought in both political
parties. They look especially for
the quiet and almost hidden
movements of thought and action
among the people. They invest
money in making Investigations.
Nor do they pay much attention
to the beliefs of politicians and
partisans. Some of the closest OBJ
servers of this class of gamblers,
often make valuable suggestions
to experienced party leaders, who
are apt to get into the fOgs OF
partisanship, and like to test their
own opinions by the gamblers es-
Inmates, az
This knowledge becomes a
valuable cash capital in the bet
ting trade. 1t is GOODNESS match
ed against impetuOsity, the shoot
ing at the bulls eye,of chance by
one who has a steady nerve, as
against the men whose fingers
tremble on the trigger.
The latest San Francisco pa
pers contain the betting rates on
the result of the election for
Mayor of Greater New York: Evan
Wyck 5 to 2 against the field"
In the opinion of men quite indif-
ferent to the merits of the candi.
dates, the chances in favor of Van
Wyck's election are much more
than even in his favor. The next
steamer will bring the figures OF
the returns.
One of the amusing features OF
journalism is, that the editorial
staff of a partisan journal will on
occasions declare in most fervent
language the certainty of the
overwhelming triumph of the
candidates supported by the pa
per, and at the same time, make
heavy bets against his election, in
accordance with the opinions OF
the pool rooms.
There seems to be a curious
moral connected with this mat.
ter. There can be no doubt about
the great evils of gambling and
the misery it creates. And vet,
the gamblers of the class we al
Jude to, illustrate the best scienti-
fic methods of thought, GOODNESS,
thOrOughness, freedom from bias.
a determination to arrive at a cor
rect result. They do not shout
in the market places, that "knowl-
edge is power" but they simply
acquire knowledge, make it up in
the form of trap, bait it with a
piece of human cupidity, and
catch the ignorant.