The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-11
TROTTER TALKS
OF THE GAMING HABIT

, ing. The experiment has been otter
tried and never once with success. II
is perhaps better to recognize the evil OF
the thing, and use the power of the gov
eminent to suppress IT, even though al
thinking men know it can never be
wholly wiped out
I've seen a great many of these anti
gambling crnsades," the globe trotter
went on. and I've found, upon investiga-
ton that almost every one of them IS
due to imprudence on the part of men,
bers of the gambling fraternity. Gam
ing houses are to be found In almost every
city of any size in the country. Persons
who frequent thse places do not usually
cause the erusades. Now and them of
course, in rough, raw communities. TRACE
dies will take place in gaming houses that
will shock the whole community, and de-
faleations in some cases may be traced
to these sources. In such instances public
indignation eompels the houses to close.
But as a rule, the professional gamblers
bring the trouble on themselves. Among
them. as among all other classes of men,
there is competition, rivalry and jealousy
Some houses become more prosperous
than others. Discomfort follows. One
class begins to knock, or, In order to get
its share of t. trade, begins to solicit
trade too brazsnly Either method brings
the subject of gaming prominently before
the public. These jealousies and rlvares
among the gamblers become themes for
street corner gossip The more respecta-
BILE element In the population resents 1t.
The pulpit begins to train and fire its
guns. Then the press gets busy, and the
police do their work. The upshot of 1t Is
that the whole town becomes shut tight
as wax-hermitically sealed-and many
baI
their diamonds and begin to hunt for
meal tickets.
NOW. I am not familiar with conditions
here in Birmingham or with the incidents
leading up to the antigambling movement
that is now in progress. But am willing
u wager little money on the quiet that
this little rueus is due to the fact that
the gamblers have fallen out among
themselves. If you will sift this thing to
the bottom, you will find that a certain
clique has got it in for some other clique
that is getting too big a share of the
business. and that clique No. l is trying
to drive clique No. to the wall. In New
York and other cities this has been the
case so often that | feel quite sure it is
repeating itself here, though l know little
about your local conditions. If gamblers
would adopt the policy of free fielu and
no favorites-live and let live'-and see
to it that a tricky card is never turned in
their houses and that their patrons do not
everyday themselves, they would seldom
If ever find themselves in the police
court.
81 was somewhat surprised" concluded
the globe trotter, ito learn that the
mayor of your city has little II any
authority In suppressing gambling here.
| understand that all the responsibility
for this devolves upon your police COM
mission, and through the commission up
on the chief of police and the police
force. If that be true 1t is clear that
your police commission has set out to
break up gaming and that the chief of
police and his subordnates are co-operat-
ing with the commission. well in
formed citizen here told me toaay that
the mayor has nothing to do with It,
l predict, however, that the pulpit will |
soon be heard on the subject in no uncer-
tain tone and that the press will. sooner
or later, be inclined to take a hand In |
the same. In the meantime 1t is interest |
ing to recall what Charles James Fox,
one of England's greatest statesmen,
once said, namely, that the greatest |
pleasure at cards is to win and the next |
greatest is-to lose.