The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-08-08
A Clever Retort,

it.'-Baltimore American.
A Clever Retort.
The tongue Is very sharp weapon,
and those who use it should be pre-
pared TO receive stab in return.
At reception in Washington, the
daughter of famous man of aris-
tocratic tendencies met western
lady, who said:
II have had tho pleasure of meet
ing your father, Miss Blank
II dare say said the younger lady,
lanSuidy. Papa, in his position,
meets all sorts of people"
II should judge So" replied the
western lady, like flash, especially
when he is at home" Golden Days.
In commenting on the action of
The mayor in the ease of the recent
wbvI,,s vro,u American Derby
run at the Wash
ington park, Chi
rago, the Tribune of that city has
this TO say on the subject of gam
Hlng:
"rhe betting, however, which char
acterizes this annual cycnt-and, in
deed, all races-is only u further evi-
dcnce of human propcAsit.cs whose
assertiveness is evidenced in thou
sand other ways, and whose exist
ence is confined neither to citizen,
savage, nor particular epoch. Are
these propensities virtuous or
vicious? Is betting essentially wrong,
and if so, on what ground? The final
and prevailing charge against betting
is apt to be that it results in one
persons getting something for moth
ing. That this answer is usually ac-
ceptcd as sufficient, however, is due
relations--Our notion that every
transfer of resources must be on n
basis OF "quid pro quo" For in real
fact both our higher social institu-
tions and our religious doctrines cX-
cmpify and emjoin precisely the OPP
posite idea. The child throughout
baby Wood and education is continu-
ousIy receiving something for moth
ing The most applauded gifts in
every grade of society transcend the
quid pro quo idea. 1t is the basic
doctrine of current religion that its
priceless benefits are to be had with
out money and without price, The
case against gambling, to be success
ful, must be rested ultimately upon
the broad theory that the possession
of wealth imposes the duty Of al
miuistcring it in rational manner
and hence forbids its being yolun-
tarily ha2arded upon an issue Of
chance. In simple wager the stake
goes TO one party or the other, ire
spcctiye of any ground or reason.
Its destiny, and hence its subsequent
disposition in society, are deter
mined by mere chance. Such treat
mcnt of wealth-of the products of
human labor-is irrational and hence
in the literal sense inhuman. y story
is told of man who, years ago, was
coming north on a Mississippi river
boat with q young female slave, who
had reason to believe that he was
about to set her free. One night,
while gambling, he stakcd this slave,
lCst-and she leapcd overheard to her
death. The event dramatized the es-
sence of gambling. The life and for
tunes of this slave were left to chance
to a throw Of the dice-instead of
being directed by intelligence and
Judgment. No person responsible for
another person, or for human life
coined into commodities or dollars,
has u right to commit the destiny of
either to n throw of chance. 1t is
because gambling pure and simple
this principle that it is
wrong. And in so far as any wagers
or gambling Observation-Disclosures
they may also involve the exercise
of discretion and judgment-pur-
posely rest upon chance, or upon un-
certainty which to the parties is
equivalent to chance, they violate that
duty of responsible stewardship"
over wealth by its possessors which