The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-08-25
WHERE GAMBLING BEGINS.

Savannah Morning News
The ministers of tie gospel touch tie
right key when they preach agasn-, PR
yaJe and social card ~Playln. for gain i
: doubtful II one person IN q hladrel e
those who gamble tegaa i It'll the glldet
gambling saloon { ! tie private cart
party. tie social game OF chance that
stimulates the desire 10 get something for
nothing ~ chance. And when the craf-
ING for -Del or chance becomes strong
social games n cards. rattles and tlc Itf
vii not satisfy the wouer II thc fcsl'
goddess and the gambling saloons arc
sought. The step from the seal game
TO the professional game i not a ve-y
long one. but once taken X ! almost in-
possible - being r~etraced L = : yard 90
ing and 6 thousand miles getting back
The wee Of gambling i one u the most
i IKE arl ir>I-,cat ta whlch poor hl.
man nature ~utt eetci IT : worse than
the craving to- strong drink and : com
parable only 10 The drug habit whIoh. once
acquired 5 al-~st always : F-erIaueney
Card PLAYING. Ter L. : innocent, =
long ~ there ! ra forfeit tut the no-
inert there i something 70 - PLACED FOR
and Won or lost il becomes gambling
Nor are cards and dice the only Vehicles
of gambling 10 - condemned There ate
ventures called SPECULATION that are Al
most * rcpreher,I BE. Tie sober faced
church member who buys or sells cotton
or stocks ca . margin J. merely betting
that the market NO. 70 up IT Gown ~ 2
certain lre, though Le may delude hirl-
self with the t.atterlng JUNCTION that he s
merely engaging in a business transaction.
Morally there j no difference between bet
ting on the fluctuations = the stock mar
ket and betting "a the turn II 2 card or
the color on which the roulette wheel VII
stop.
Gambling has rightly been called a uni
yersal vice, No nation has ever succeed
"a ia wholly suppress nE lt. The retorTa-
ton must be a moral rather than a legal
one. n tie United States, where the vii
or whIrn Of q jury ) II many Instances TIC
law. punishment cannot he mcted out to
gamblers when some If the jurymen are
guilty OF the offen>e themselves possibly
IN a lesser degree than the accused. but
nevertheless guilty. The judge on the
bench ma expound the law aRl the PRO-
scouting attorney may rupture hIs vocal
cords in arguing to the jury with respect
to itS d2tv. but their combined efforts en-
not secure a verdict q guilty whore tic
jurynen think kindly Of gambling because
they do It themselves. Tie preachers arc
on the right track. One place 10 fight
gambling Is where Il originates, and that.
a. We have said. i IN the playing OF 20
clal games OF chance Tor valuable consid-
erations. Professional gamblers. that :
those who run games" are few, but tic
confirmed unprofesSional gamblers are
many ard are to be found n about al
the walks # life. Nine OF ten OF this class.
II questioned. would probably admit tat
their first winnings or losses were az ,
social game. from which they drifted 10
lie gambling saloons.
In tacEllng the gambling evil at IL
source the ministers have undertaken a
big job, but they should not despair. Il
Is a good work that they have undertak-
en- and Is worthy Of sincerest support.