The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-18

l. n in what distinctively AFRO
gates the name of Society"
in New York city is drawing upon it
self the heaviest denunciation. alike
fiCm secular and religious leaders of
thought, il is worth while to recall
the fact that neither the vice nor its
special condemnation is any new
thing.
Mr.. William f.. Curtis, writing in
the Forum nearly ten years ago on
"the increase of gambling and its
FORMS, makes some strong statements
each of which he supports by a wealth
of statistics and the citation of un-
disputed business and social dongs.
He writes that whenever. for any rea-
son. public attention is sharply drawn
10 gambling las it was a little While
ago in England and as it periodically
is in the United States this,
which is so--"half the commu-
nifty is shocked at the apparent preva-
lence of gambling: while the other half
wonders that these periodical cOmmo-
,iors snhSdr 50 quickly, and with so
little result He accepts as the most
accurate definition of gambling that
which puts it as the desire to get
something for nothing" "the wish to
make money without working for it,"
Mr.. Curtis remarks that ii is safe
to say that there never was Il time
in the history of the world when gam
bling was SO rife as ii is at present.
He points out how mary legitimate
branches of business are tinged with
the hue of speculation: instancing,
among other things. the dabblng in
town lots. 'rurar' ana others. in min
ing shares and in various other So
called business enterprises whose
methods are really variations of the
oulettn wheel. With twenty eagle
binds instead Of one" lie emphatic
ely says: "'rhe United States is the
garden spot of gambling" He brings
ovidsnce upon evidence, plins Ossa
upon Polion. He names the almost
Incredible growth of newspapers de-
voted wholly 10 sports" of which the
essential factor is gambling horse
racing, the stock, produce. or cotton
ness OF the stock exchange l. gam
bling pure and simple" No ono can
doubt that. But he goes on to parti-
cularize h"re and there. Their have
he"n weeks, he says. when the sales
Of certain kinds of grain ana provis-
ions on the exchanges OF New York
and Chicago exceeded the total amount
,lf &c in "a
world II" cites. as IL single instance.
The sales OF wheat on q single day
the dat" of which he gives. Just be-
for" his Article was written on the
huor of the New York Produce Ex-
change. rs exceeding by nearly u mill
lion and bali OF bushels the same
days utlirinl, government. report of
United states. "'v n" twist of Ian
guage car lh"se alleged sales of prop
erty, which not only was not owned
by the sellers. but which in fact did
rot exist, be- called legitimate busi-
ness"
1t is not possible, even If We 50 de-
Sired To follow Mr., Curtis through
in which gambling has become a lead
ins characteristic of modern life. aud
pe-"minently SO in this country. Nor
eV"ll can w." follow him into his con-
S,deratiun of III" effects of gambling
in lis multiplied forms upon the char
ucter Of tn" Gamhrr; whether as Is
usually the case the desire for gain,
~ m "a ~ A.,
iaiiS That for demonstrating their
judgment ana skill may enter in
What We wish here to emphasize Is.
that the present craze for gambling
in New York and other society" CIR
cles--those IN which fashionable hos
tesses are declared in the daily prints,
from which few of The clergy have
quoted, to be in the habit of inviting
young men to gamble and insisting
upon the payment of the sums they
have won at cards from their guests,
before the guests are allowed To leave
the house-is The natural result of the
atmosphere of gambling in business"
Perfectly aware. as "society" Is. of the
basis upon which s0 large proportion
Of the wealth il enjoys is resting the
result of stock and other gambling
there is no reason for wonder shat
the craze for gambling extends INTO
tine homes of wealth. The wonder
would be that 1t did not, human ma
ture being what il is.
We commend 10 consideration the
closing paragraph of Mr.. Curtis COM
prahensiva review. Gambling" he
writes. runs a close race with intem-
perance, for the dshonor of being
mans greatest curse: but ii cannot
be leslslated away, or punished out of