The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-09-26
The River Press.
Published every Wednesday, Morning
by the Rirer Press Publish
ing Company.
GAMBLING ACCORDING TO LAW.

An opinion recently given Oy At'
torney General A. j. Galen, to the ct
feet that betting on horse races is not
prohibited by the Montana anti.g amb-
ling law, is the subject OF this COM
ment by the Yellowstone Journal:
The attorney general of the state
rules that there Is no law to prevent
or punish racetrack gambling. No
doubt this ruling will induce thought.
less people, who do not approve OF
any kind of gambling, to- declare that
the attorney general is ''standing in"
with the track element, but such a dec
laration would be unjust. We must
go back many years and to very re.
spectacle people to reach the influence
that has made racetrack gambling
immune in this state. The attorney
general declares it 90 because the law
distinctly and intentionally omits it
from the category of forbidden pleas
ures and the anomalous condition pre-.
walls OF q free rein being given to the
most seductive and hurtful kind Of
gambling while a tight one, a rein of
restraint, is held over other kinds that
hold out less temptation to the weaker
and more impressionable public.
Racing being "a gentleman's
game" it is assumed that the varied
aud seductive forms of racetrack
gambling a be INDUCED in by boys
and women without harm ensuing, and
to enable those who cannot be at the
track or who take an interest In dis.
tant races, to ''get down" their bets,
the pool room is instituted and -four.
ishes, il not under the protection of
the law, at least by connivance with
it., for it was that kind Of work that
obtained in the framing of III sta.
tutes, that resulted In the omission Of
this class of gambling from the list of
misdemeanors and prohibitions.
1t did not need the recent failure of
the Chicago bank to impress upon the
public the conviction that the fiduciary
trustee who ''plays the ponies is a
sure ~defaulter. That has been proven
to a tiresome certainty. And how easy
it is to fall into the habit. 1t is human
nature to bet. You have 30 opinion.
Someone holds differently. The prop.
osition admits of demonstration and
so sure are you that you are right that
you bet. 1t doesn't make you any
brighter" than you are without bet
ting, but somehow it is held among
those who bet that ii one offers to
back his opinion with coin and he has
no takers, his opinion must be right.
Hence there is the satisfaction Of max.
ing your opponent "put up or shut
up" and the probability of winning
his money.
Now this failing Of humanity is most
diligently catered to on the race tracks
and in the pool rooms. On the track
you are out for a days sport and you
can no more help having an opinion
as to probable winners than you can
shut your eyes during the few seconds
of a splendid finish. The steps from
modest wager on the grand stand te
active participation in ''the betting
ring" are few and quickly taken
Once initiated there, the pool room
becomes a most natural resort on tn
days when you cannot get out to tn
track and your tavorite is sup
There are more gamblers made AM
more OF "other peoples money los
on racing ventures than on any othe
class of gambling. Gamblers ar
made on the race track that coul,
never have fallen q victim Of tn
.'wheel," the ''box." or the ''rOun
table, but who, after they have bt
gun to feel the hungry NAV of tn
betting ring aud the pool room
drift into the other and Jesse
forms as naturally as a hungry do
takes to rustling bones.