The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-11
THE GRME OF POKER.

Mr.. John Pierpont Morgan, father OF
.hlind pools'' and other Wall street
skin games, has turned moralist and
has arisen in his might and righteous
ness and dealt a grievous blow to the
fascinating game of draw poker. The
world had never thought OF the gener-
alissimo of finance as one who nao
time to consider such a trifie as card
playing. It has been deluded into the
belief that Mr.. Morgan's colossal nina
was too deeply engrossed in ship COM
bines, railroad mergers and the analrs
of the steel trust to take notice OF the
elusive jackpot of liliputian gamblers.
But the Colossus, it appears. has
turned his eagle eye on demoraliziag
games of chance and warns Americans
against squanderingi their substance
and morals in poker-playing. Listen
to the voice of the great moralist, cry
ing not from the wilderness, but from
the deck of /palatial yacht in Euro
pean waters:
Poker is bad game. 1t is based
upon a lie. The man who has the
greatest capacity for deceit wins. To
become a strong player he studies 10
develop the most ignoble and un-
American faculty. The effect upon
boys is to make them think deceit and
bluff are essential to success in work,
as In play 1t is an iniQuitous game,
and ought to be abolished Nothing
could be more foreign to American
ideas. The man who labeled 1t our
typical national game ought to be
shot. never heard it referred to by
that term without wanting to shoot
him.
Thus speaketh the great gambler of
Wall street. OF course poker players
will not accept his conclusions. From
Androscoggin to San Diego, from the
gilded palaces OF Newport to the cow
camps of Cochise county, an angry
protest will issue. Mr. Morgan, in
revealing the wickedness Of the poker
player, has trodden on the corns of a
mighty host of American citizens who
IL
tickle goddess of fortune or In studying
human nature as manifested in the
moral obliquities resulting from gam
bling. II is not for those ignorant OF
the garne-who undoubtedly constitute
a small minority of,the American peo-
ple-to interfere in this quarrel. But
we can act as lockers on while Mr.
Morgan and the devotees of poker fight
it out among themselves. The New
York financier knows thing or two
about games of chance; otherwise he
would not be leader in Wall street, a
Napoleon of the stock exchange. He
has for years been playing the game of
high finance" in which jackpots hold
millions of dollars, instead of the
paltry sums which the average card
player risks Mr.. Morgan is, there
fore, no novice. He is a moralist who
speaks with the authority of expert
ence. His conclusions may be un-
warranted, but they are not the deduc-
TONS OF a tyro. Far from being a
demoralizing game, poker may be an
eievating pastime. Bluffing. calling.
showing down, may be enApbling
rather than degrading The full hand
and the royal flush may develop the
finest moral qualities, and not make
men ignoble. The jackpot may be a
character builder, instead of a de-
stroyer Of mems souls. 1t Is not for
the non-poker playing element to ar
ogate to itself the right to decide the
graye questions involved in Mr.-Mor-
,gan's fierce assault upon draw poker.
Let the matter be submitted to court
OF wise and impartial experts.
Whether Mr.. Morgan is right or
wrong IN this particular instance. his
appearance as a moralist will arouse
Worldwide interest. It is pleasant 10
think Of him tearing himself away
from the mammoth enterprises In
which he ~ engaged, to warn Ameri-
cans against an ailuring diversion
which he regards as dangerous. When
d our muIti-miiionaires take upon them
eelyes the thankless task Of develop.