Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-25
SCHOOLS FOR GAMBLING

n to grant the request Of the police
commission, which Is charged with the
prevention Of crime in this city, to
gambling of a certain kind, suggests
query which The Herald would like
very much to have answered
We would like to know of these gen
tlemen upon what principle of ethics
they have decided that gambling for
cigars is right, while gambling for
money is wrong?
To the dealer who purchases a cigar
and loses It in gambling with Gus
toner that cigar certainly represents
money. The possession and use of the
cigar by the customer are supposed to
represent to him a certain amount of
money which he would otherwise have
spent The purchase by him of cigars
to pay the dealer for his losses when
throwing dice for cigars certainly rep
resents money paid to the cigar dealer.
1t Is, therefore, very certain that the
dealer loses money when he loses the
cigars that he has bought, and it is also
certain that the customer who is not
dealer loses money when he pays for
the cigars which the dealer wins from
him.
Just why men should be prohibited
from shaking dice at cents or so cents
In money throw, and yet permitted to
shake dice for a scent or 50-cent cigar,
which represents just that much outlay
Of cash to the loser, whoever he may
be, probably no one but a councilman
interested In placating the cigar-stand
vote could answer.
Purely as a contribution to ethics, we
would like the six gentlemen who have
repeatedly voted in favor Of permitting
gambling for cigars In this city to
answer just what the moral difference
is between gambling for cigars that
directly cost money to the gamblers,
and gambling directly for the money.
IF they are driven to say that the
only difference is that permitting gam
bling for cigars placates a certain num-
Der Of voters in the city and makes
them solid for the councilmen who
grant this permission, then these coun-
cilmen will be confessing that they do
not either permit or prohibit gambling
from any moral issue involved, and
that their votes upon the matter of
gambling are dictated purely and sim
ply as a matter of politics. This seems
to be the fact, whether these gentle
men admit 1t or not.
bers of the city council are willing to
permit gambling, If. by its permission,
they can make themselves solid with a
certain number Of voters Of the city.
THESE GENTL MEN OUGHT TO
KNOW, IF THEY KNOW ANY
THING. THAT WHEN THEY PER
NIT GAMBLING FOR CIGARS THEY
SIMPLY AUTHORIZE AND LEGAL
IZE THE ESTABLISHMENT ALL
OVER THE CITY OF SCHOOLS FOR
TRAINING MEN, AND PARTICU-
LARRY YOUNG MEN, T GAMBLE
The young fellow who has his appe-
tite for games OF chance created or
encouraged by gambling for cigars will
probably shortly develop such a love
for that kind of amusement as will lead
him to crafty it in other ways. and he
will soon be found gathered with others
who have passed through the same
experience around a poker table.
When these members of the city
council who have refused the request
Of the board of police commissioners to
suppress something which that board
has earnestly assured them leads
directly to a violation Of the law and
the commission of crime, consider what
an educational influence they have
established in our city, they may feel
that they are performing the part
Of good citizens and good officials.
Other people, however, VIII not feel this
way about their actions.
IT IS AN ASTONISHING THING
THAT MEN WHO, AS CITIZENS,
AND SOME AS FATHERS, SHOULD
BE INTERESTED IN PROTECTING
THE YOUTH OF THE CITY FROM
TEMPTATION CAN DELIBERATE
LY TAKE A STEP WHICH THEY
ARE ASSURED BY THE VERY MEN
CHARGED WITH THE ENFORCE
NII7NT OF LAW IN THIS CITY CAN
ONLY RESULT IN EVIL.
The action of these six members of
the city council on the question of
gambling for cigars is probably one of
the most forcible illustrations that the
people of the city have ever been
treated to of the lengths to which some
men are prepared to go for the pur-
pose of placating a few voteI-.
If they are ever again candidates for
office in the city they ought to be
made to understand that this kind of
thing will offend more voters than it
will please; and they probably will
have a demonstration Of this If they
submit themselves as candidates at the
coming election.