The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-13

to make the captor believe that he has
caught some other person than the cap
tive. In baseball the pitcher does his
best to mislead the man at the bat by
throwing the ball In curves or In some
other peculiar way. All these are recoQ-
nized as games the ethics Of which moral
lists generally do not condemn. Is not
| the root-principle OF the deception prac-
ticed the same as that used In cartl-play-
ings
Most assnredly 1t is not. The artiflce
to secure an advantage in these and in
all true games is always such as can be
successfully met by an opponent who ad-
equately uses his rational and physical
powers, knowledge and skill. Such ar
tifices serve as tests of faculties. skill.
agility and strength. They call forth the
powers Of mind and body to meet emer-
gencies, and are here called strategy to
distinguish them from the practices put
forth In cart-playing.
On the contrary, in card playing, by
the concealment Of the cards, by the ele-
ment Of chance, and by the rules of the
play, the false pretense, the cunning
fnesse, and the misleading ruse, consti-
tute deception against which there Is no
protection whatever. No penetration, no
foresight, no perception, however quick,
no Judgment, however sound, no astute-
ness OF brain nor ability of any kind, can
ward of an attack. Even should the
victim, by a happy guess, conclude that
a card was played to mislead, he would
be helpless to defend himself, unless
chance had furnished him with a certain
card. His mental powers cannot assist
him, for the rules do not call them into
play. There is therefore here no battle
OF brains, nor trial of mental force or
physical prowess. 1t Is simply play OF
make believe" or "lying"-perhaps
rather harsh term, lin which the most
,f,y Il L.
This is brought out glaringly In the So
called game Of poker, where it is fire.
quently the case that the most audacious
make believer, or .'bluffer," although
holding what is called the poorest han l,
wins the money. l might add this, to
be true game the cards should be
could ns UP so b ssat oo the
exercise their foresight, make calcula-
tons and provide for attack and defense,
with such intelligence as they might pos
sess, instead of being, as now, victims of
chance, and helpless in spite Of their
wits.
gy and deception as the underlying prin-
ciples of the true game, and the mere
play OF cards, which is ranked as no
game, may seem finely drawn. The diff
ference between ozone and malaria Is
also slight. But one is invigorating and
Wnlle the other Is baneful
and death dealing. So the true game is
building up and developing
mind and body for the serious work Of
life, while rd-playing is degenerative,
leading to a false standard OF conduct,
and to dependence upon the hazard OF
chance. 1t Is essentially and per Sc"
with an influence akin to |
the, play of stealing and picking |
pockets sometimes practiced BY the
'hoodlums" Of the street. These plays |
like card-playing, undesirable |
qualities, but as they are not quite anal. |
Ogous, so they are not quite so vicious in |
principle; for they are wanting In the |
ieleterious element Of chance, and leave |
the victim some room for defense by the |
exercise of vigilance.
For these reasons it is evident that the
common feeling of distrust as to the
ethics and moral influence of card-play
Ing does not rest upon prejudice nor big
,try, but upon deep philosophical princi-
pies. The Instinct We dread of the i'm
moral and oorruptive influences OF the
play has sound reasons for its basis, and |
t should be cheri shed until 1t becomes
DOsitive fear