The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-11

while sitting here in front of the no.
tel Friday afternoon" said globe
trotter last night at the Hillman, my
attention was drawn to a score or more
of men emerging from the alley across
the street Upon inquiry l learned that
the men We're coming from the police
court, where they had been detained
since 10 o'clock to face charge of vio-
lating the laws prohibiting gaming
am told that their cases were postponed
till today and that they were disposed of
by the imposition of fines when the court
opened tins morning.
1T seems.r continued the globe-trotter,
that Birmingham is just now the storm
center of an anti-vice crusade When
I was here few weeks ago I was inter-
ested in noting that your chief of police
was delivering lectures before the Young
Mems Christian association on The Vices
of Birmingham. 1t occurred to me at
that time that something would be do
ing shortly here in the way of an anti
prised to learn that various places in
town where gambling is suspected to be
going on are being raided and that the
dragnet is entangllng few victims.
whenever the head of police de-
partment gets up in a religious meeting
and lambasts vice or sin or crime of
any kind it indicates two thngs-hrst,
that violation of law exists. and second.
that the police authorities, If put to the
touch, will get busy and make trouble.
These anti-viee or anti-crime cru
sades,' the globe-trotter went on come
in waves, and before their strength is
expended they are likely to sweep a
whole circuit of cities [ hear that
similar movement has recently culmi-
mated successfully in New Orleans, where
the chief of police has been dismissed
because of gross Irregularities found in
the department and crime and vice ram
pant in all sections of the city Little
Rock and Memphis also have felt the
shock. as has also Atlanta 1t isn't sur
prising, therefore, that Birmingham
should be somewhat stirred at this time.
These movements come and go. but after
it is all over. the shortcomings of frail
human nature reassert themselves. and
gaming, like the brook in the poem,
literally goes on forever
And, by the by, did 1t ever occur to
YOU" asked the globe-trotter that gam
ing is one of the most powerful instincts
in human nature? You may travel the
world over, from the sands of the Sa-
hara desert to the SHOWS of Siberia and
wherever you meet with men you will
be confronted with this word-old habit
of taking chances. Men and women
wagered money before the temple of Sol
ONION was builded. Excavations in In
da prove that dice and other games of
chance were played there four thousand
years ago. In Egypt the pastime was
popular when the earliest of the Ptole-
mics assembled the throne. Soldiers have
gambled from the days Of Alexander
and Caesar to those of Oyama and Kuro-
patkin. 1t is almost hoping against hope
to expect that this passion for gaming
for that is what it is, passion-will ever
be eradicated from the human heart.
''In spite of all this. however" added
the globe -trotter philosophically, civil
lied society places a ban upon gaming.
| am not protesting against this prohibit
ton On the whole | am inclined to adj
nit that it isn't prudent to legalize gam