Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-23
GAMBLING AND
ILLEGAL SPECULATION.
To the Editor Of the Register.

the evil In gambling. They say, Ii a
man is fool enough to risk his money
whose business is it but his own? They
fail to see that fundamental principle
of all good government, viz: the right
to the fruit of ones labor or its equiva-
lent, is violated by gambling in any
form. "The presumption of law is that
every man has acquired his property
honestly; and it is the policy of every
well regulated government that he
shall not be deprived of it without a
fair equivalent. This is particularly
the case in republics, where all should
be Independent in the means of sub
sistence." The above quotation is
from a decision rendered by the court
of Tennessee.
Judge Catron, formerly Judge of the
Supreme Court of the United States,
says: Gaming is general evil, leads
to vicious inclinations, destruction of
morals, abandonment of industry and
honest employments, loss of self-con-
troll and respect"
The English courts for centuries have
held that: "a common gambling house,
kept for lucre or gain, is common
nulSduCc, IL ICnuo " VI dW lOSCLuCl
idle and evil disposed persons. to cor
rupt their morals and ruin their for
tunes"
The individual ownership of prop
erty, whether in the form of money or
real estate, distinguishes man from the
brute, and civilized man from the saw
age To labor for the means OF self
support and for the support of those
naturally, or otherwise, dependent
upon ones self, is not only commend
able but a duty The fruit of such
labor is individual ownership of money,
ETC. 1t has always been fundamental
principle of good government to pro-
tect the lahorer in this ownership, so
that he and those dependent upon him
might be Independent or self-support-
ing. 1t has been principle of good
government that the laborer shall not
be deprived of the righteous fruits CT
his labor by fraud or force or other
wise than by being given fair equiv
alent. He may, of course, give the
fruit of his toll away. but he must not
be cheated or robbed of it.
It is this fundamental law of the
is violated in gambling of every de-
scription. The gambler does not pre-
tend to give fair and just equivalent
for what he gets. The only object of
gambling is to get more than one gives;
to gain self-support and to build up
fortunes on the fruits Of others toll.
1t makes little difference whether he
does this through the operations of an
innocent but alluring looking slot ma
chine, a game of cards, faro table,
or by betting on horses. specializing on
the fall or rise of fictitious stocks, or
in some other manner; his aim is to
get more than he gives, or to get
something for nothing, or to get hold
of some other fellows money without
giving him fair equivalent.
Gambling, therefore, transgresses the
fundamental law Of properN, for 1t
gives no equivalent for whatsit gets:
1t thrives on the fruits of honest toll
unjustly gained. And it tends to the
disbursement and abandonment of
industry and honest EMPLOYMENT a
loss of self-respect, of self-controI TT
one man can life and grow rich nv
winning craftily the fruits of others
toll, why not many? And. conse-
quently, more and more are constantly
trying to do so.
1t leads also to vicious inclinations
and destruction of morals. viz. a de-
termination to live and thrive without
honest labor. It. moreover. tends to
draw together idle and evil disnosed
persons, who will try to allure and cor
rupt others and rob them Of the Just
fruits of their labor. Birds of a
feather will flock together" In short.
gambling destroys character. robs hon
est toll and fosters crime
1t has, therefore, been prohibited by
strenuous laws from the DAYS of the
Roman Republic on down to our times
by nearly all civilized and some semi
civilized communities. It is this evil
which has been outlawed by most
courts OF Justice, that is being made a
respectable adjunct to our city by col
lSeting from it a revenue under the pre-
tense of fines. 1t cannot be said in re-
ply, "The slot machines are not a
gambling device" And they ere the
thing at which the strike was especiaI-
~ hdue, lOi lUey are generally so con-
sidered. Our own Mayor and Chief of
Police so consider them. for they pull"
them and fine the operators. If thew
were not considered gambling devices
thov would not dare fine them.
Mr.. H. c. Vrooman, in the Arena for
February, 1895. says: "The forms of
gambling and speculation are almost
endless. The older forms are lotteries.
faro. thimbles, dice. cards, and the like.
Not to mention billiard and pool plav-
ing for drinks, the raff1es and chances
at fairs-where. under sometimes sa-
cred auspices. is fed the passion for
gaining something for nothing-there
is every grade of responsibility and
non-respectability There Is a very
popular device coming very much into
use of late called "a nickle in the slot
This contrivance is within reach of the
boys and initiates them into taste of
trying their luck 1t REQUIRES but five
cents, and there is a chance of win
ming over a dollar These machines
are most common in saloons. but are
not infrequently found in candy stores
near schools, where bows crowd at