The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-09
Reply to Mr.. Tanner.

Editor The Washington Herald.
/ was pained to read in your paper last
Monday an article by Mr. Tanner, in
which he characterizes the present move
ment against gambling "as step toward
paternaiism. an an abridgment Of in
VldrM rights.
All the teaching of my childhood and
the ideals Of my youth revolt at the idea
of letting such statement 90 unchai-
llenged.
Since the creation of the world all
civilized communities have felt the need
Of well-defined code Of laws
Did not the Almighty give US the Ten
Commandments And can We not hear
the awful tones above the thunder OF
Mount Sinai, Thou shalt not steal7-'
And can any one say that the bookmakers
and the gamblers at the race tracks are
keeping this commandment?
Mr.. Tanner points out the trouble and
expense TO which we have gone in i'm
porting and improving the stock. Is a
genuine race horse an Improvement over
g horse that can do q hard days work,
or horse that can hold his own on the
road2 OF what advantage 10 the public
at large is the race horse that is used
/ in nothing else? His owner must make
something off Of him. and IL must come
out OF the poor, desJded persons who
stand around the Betting ring. led on by
the same insane desire Of getting some
thing for nothing that inflames the rob
Der and the thief
/ Further. Mr.. Tanner states that 'the
loss TO the former VIII be hard 70 bear"
/ deny this. The farmer has no use for
/ Thn TqPa norCns na xt-aura Barga
record or a mere pedigree
/ To him the race horse is TOO much Ike
the average titled foreigner, a mere gildea,
empty show
/ He also says there are ten places OF
amusement in Europe to one here. Per
/ haps that Is the reason for so many
monocle princes He must have forgotten
their records.
Is IL hard for man with such a vivid
and gifted ina gination TO let his minds
eye wander through the halls Of the
casino az Monte Carlo. and see hundreds
OF people at the tables. stalking their all
on east Of the dice? Can he not see
/ the Wild hunted look OF desperation
overspread the face OF the poor victim
as he loses dollar after dollar? Can he
not imagine still farther and see him.
robbed IF all he has stink out through
]
hear the crack OF a pistol?
! Yes; and we know that once more has
the 6evil claimed his own. Was he a "ra-
| ti0nal ectity?" Was he a happy man?
At last he quotes;
He either fears his fate too much.
Or his deserts snail
Who 6ares not put il 70 the touch
! To win OF lose II all
In the first place. Sir Walter Scott did
not say that Il was the dashing AMI
| gallant soldier-poet Sir John Graham.
who sent the above lines 70 his lady love
/ in explanation Of his cou-ss, when he
gave up home. peace. love and friends
I in the cause OF ethc Chevalier de St
/ George. and. after all was lost. he gave
up his life upon Tower Hill IN proof that
he did not fear his fate. This was what
made the gallant Col LOvelace declare.
stone walls do not a prison make, nor
I iron bars a cage" II was this that called
I forth that sOuI-inspiring clarion call 70
/ battle. OF the American Revolution, Il
know not what course others may take.
/ but as for me- give me liberty or give
me DEATH" This was the spirit that made
/ the immortal Lee decline the offer OF the
I Federal government, and throwing his
fortunes IN which his beloved Virginia, he
| covered the bloodiest page I'm our ma
/ tons history with such an effulgent
blaze OF glorious brightness that all the
world looked on in awe.
! For shame that a rational entity" a
man with a soul, should compare this
glorious spirit OF patriotism with horse
race. a gamble, or q mere game OF chance.
Of chance. ". S LONG
/ III Second street northwest