The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-01-23
Gambling Mania a Menace
Margaret Sangslsr Sees Eg in Fashion Sanction of tie
Custom Of Playing Cards for Money-Ihe
Fatal Folly Of Imitation

money lof Fdlue received He are ln
the right The gambler Is little bet
ter than The thief. and has in recH-
tude no advantage over the latter.
except n So far as his operations are
conducted in the open. TO cheat at
cards is regarded as the lowest depth
into which a civilized human being
can sink This degradation does not
often befall the fair gamblers OF so
ciety. They do not condescend to
cheat their opponents. This is the
one bit OF honor they can claim. They
are spendthrifts Of money. Of time. Of
temper and Of brains. Little by little
they grow sordid and cruel. and cease
to care for the ideals that shine be-
fore womanhood and make it radiant
in purity and exalted in tone.
Possibly there are those who do
not think it necessary to sound
warning note against the evils Of
gambling as engaged in by our won.
en- Of wealth. They say with some
show Of truth that the smart set has
its narrow limitations, and that its
manners and customs do not particu-
larly affect or impress the rank and
file Of the nation. In a measure this
may be taken for granted. Only in
a measure Gradually, but certainly,
there has happened to us in this re-
public a deterioration in our stand
ard. Most OF US condone many things
on which our mothers and grand
mothers sternly frowned. The news
papers chronicle the doings Of soei-
ETY., and women of small incomes as
well as working women who earn
their bread by long hours Of toll,
eagerly read about the women who
live in splendor, and, like the lilies
Of the field. take no anxious thought
for their raiment Why should they?
Their only difficulty is to secure b'4E-
liant costumes for brilliant occasions
from the dressmakers whose styles
are paid for at prices per gown that
would keep poor mans family the
larger part Of a year.
Imitation is the fatal flaw in
country where there are no well de-
fined social ranks
Every one is reaching up to climb
the ladder. To do as those do who
are better of than we, to have things
as they have them. are the aims and
ambitions Of far too many Of US. So
it comes to pass that in little yiIlages,
in small towns and select circlss that
have not the faintest expectation Of
ever seeing anything beyond the gilt
tering outside of that society which
is spelled with a capital S, there ii
an evident strain to do as people do
there.
The sober common sense OF Amer
lean women may be trusted not to go
too far in this alien and lamentable
line. Still it is worth while to
safeguard our daughters and our sons
against manifest peril.
The social fabric cannot be moth
eaten by Incidence and dishonesty
anywhere without injury that extends
throughout its entire length and
breadth. Society in way may be
compared to the human body. The
physical life is menaced more ter
ribly by blood poisoning than by any
other form of disease known to the
medical profession. When blood pol
soning enters society at any point
it is apt to permeate the body pol
itic.
It rests with women Of culture and
education, with women Of leisure and
gentle breeding, to set the right pace
for their sisters throughout the en-
tire country. Women cannot be too
austere in virtue, nor too exacting in
morality. With them must remain
the responsibility for keeping pure
and noble the atmosphere and the
life Of the home. 1t is therefore a
tremendous misfortune that women
who preside over our most beautiful
homes should suffer them to be IN
vaded by gambling.
Copyright, 1896. by Joseph B. Bowles)
= = = =.