The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-08
Cditor The Advertiser:

Editor The Advertiser.
 am writing on the day set apart to make resolutions, at least that's what I've heard. Individually haven't much experience in the line of New Year resolutions of amendment. tried tt once or twice with the success not worthy of boast. quit tobacco once for quite a while, though the quitting didn't come of a January resolution. The doctor told me if didn't quit at once had better "set my house in or der" As I didn't care to be accused of being an angel on account of tobac- co. I quit
 But, as I'm now in the "sere and yell low ieaf't of life, I think I ought to be resolving at the right time and in company with that great mass of hu- manfky that means to be better or worse for the year or. may be so, not so long. But. like the young woman who had "been setting on quandary about what to wear tomorrow" I'm in doubt whether to resolve to be bet ter or worse. don't know If you ever had time to notice it, that at your very best you are very bad in some peoples eyes, and at your extremest worst you are the pink of perfection in some other eyes. So, if you're good you're bad and if you're bad you're good. And isn't that enough to make one hesitate in the matter of resolution?
 Of course we have good people and bad. people but. under the circum- stances, who can tell "'tother from which?'
 Every now and then some one has something to say about the better element" but fail to so define 1t that he that reads may run" (Which Is a more exact quotation than usual.)
 Since you are credited with a sort of moral crusade against the gamblers I take 1t that you suppose yourself to be in the "better element" Lots of excellent folks condemn gambling of one sort or another and, no doubt are swollen with the virtuous pride of be- fng better than the poor fellow who in- duIges in small risks behind closed doors.
 suppose gambling (my dictionary is ~out of pocket") is risking money or valuable upon a contingency or against "the other fellows trick" It must be that betting at cards or dice Is the pastime of the "worser element" and genteel gambling the diversion of the sbetter element" but If both are gamb- ling, how, on the line of morality, can the distinction of better or worse come inf I have heard good Christian men commend the higher order of gambling and in almost the same breath con- Aemn the lower order. I think I can be excused if I decline to accept the excellent men for my moral guides. Sometimes I think we let appearances deceive us into believing one man good and another bad. That Is. if can make it understood. the vices of the Ignorant, depraved wicked become the virtues of the cultured pious. Which leaves us just human. after all, with a load of errors that becomes a burden of perfection, by evolution, reckon.
 Now, in the matter of drinking Iiauor, 1t is disgusting in the poor workingman. but as the poor fellow progresses, by any means. to wealth, the habit of drinking. by its own en- erEy, reckon, changes from vice to virtue So it is with gambling; so 1t Is with profanity; 50 1t Is with lying; ao it is with stealing.
 And so I'm pestered no little about whether I shall be good as the refined and cultured or bad as the ignorant and uncuItured for their vices and virtues are about sixes. You see, if make