The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-07

there Is fearful monster--a
hideous, bat-like creature that fastens
itself on the sleeping traveller, absorb
ing the life-blood of its victim. This
terrible creature is called a vampire.
He has a brother. known as the gam
bier. He fiOurishes in the mining
camps of western America, particu-
larly in Nevada where he grows fat
on the life-blood of his fellow beings.
As the prairie dog and the rattle
snake. the centipede and the horned
toad gather themselves together in
the same hole In the ground, so the
gambler and the saloon keeper. the
pick pocket, the thug and the sneak
thief congregate in the same den OF
iniauity, and here they lie in walt
for their approaching. unsuspecting
victim. Here the miner comes with
his big roll of bills. and here he Is
aeeced by this crowd of villains. The
saloon keeper fills him with
drinks, and the gamblers accomplish
steers him over To the wheel, or the
faro and poker table, where he is
handed the slickest skin game that
was ever played; where he Is rob
he'd of his money, in quicker time
often than IL takes to tell IL. III he
has anything left when he quits the
wheel, the Knockout drops and the
pick pocket do the rest. There Is
not one redeeming feature about gam
bling. as il is carried on by the pro-
ressional gambler. There Is not the
slightest possibility of the poor dupe
winning, save as the man behind the
wheel, or the card sharp may permit
it for the purpose of drawing his
victim on The house must always
have its percentage; the booster. the
look out and all the rest of the COM
bination must have their dope, and
there is little left for the victim,
when he gets through bucking the
tiger. But even when the game Is
on the square. somebody's winning
means somebody else's losing.
Gambling gives nothing in return
for the money 1t receives. The gam
bier contributes nothing to the wealth
or the welfare of society. He Is
consumer and not a producer. Were
he both a consumer and producer
he would be like other people, and
have his place in the world. As II
is, he is a dangerous consumer, one
having no place in the economic adj
iustmeni. one who disturbs the trade
relationship; who Is foe to society.
ind opposed 10 the best interests OF
a community. Let me give you an
illustration.
A few days ago | went out into
one of the camps with a copy of the
petition 10 be presented To the leg
islature and the governor of Nevada,
asking for the enactment OF "A law TO
abolish gambling in Nevada. was
after signers. The frs; place ! walk
ed into was a grocery-store. \ man
stood by the counter. He WAS buy
ing groceries. | stepped up to him,
and said Excuse me sir, but would
you care Ia put your name To this
petition He looked at the doeu-
ment. and replied, why | couldn't
sign that: that thing would put me
out of business. I'm gambler.
We got into an argument. He in
sisted that his business was legiti-
mate business. | maintained that a
business was not legitimate busi-
ness that did not produce wealth or
give value for money received. He
had his arms full of groceries. |
said: You or I may come in here
with ten dollar note. We hand II
over to the grocer. But the grocer
gives us something in return. We
go away with our arms full OF gro
ceries. I go into your place of bust
ness. hand over my ten dollar
note to YOU. and come away with
nothing" He said: Suppose YOU
win another ten: you go away with
twenty. Suppose YOU stay with the
game. and come away with thous-
and. what better returns on ten
dollar investment? We both take
the chance on winning or losing
All. | answered. there's the point.
Money is not speculative commodity
Money is but medium of exchange.
When 1t is used for any other pur-
pose trade is disturbed and the
whole social scheme Is thrown out of
order Here's a community doing
business One man Is grocer,
another a tailor. another a carpenter.
The grocer must have clothes to
wear; the tailor must have food TO
eat. the carpenters needs are like
those of the grocer and the tailor,
and all must have houses in which to
dwell Now when the grocer goes to
the tailor and buys suit of clothes
II would be rather ineonvenient for
him to carry barrel of molasses
along in his pocket. with which to
pay for the goods. and when the
tailor goes TO the grocer and pur-
chases list of groceries, 1t would
be little unhandy for him to roll
up pair of trousers and put them
into his vest pocket, so as to be able
to settle the bill, and when the
carpenter has need to visit the tailor
or the grocer. 1t would be exceedingly
difficult to carry house on his back
or pile OF lumber to the scene of
the bargain. SO a medium of ex-
change Is decided upon. We invent
something that we call money. When
the grocer buys anything from the
4 l.