The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-05-20
Cuba and
the Lottery
The Gambling Fever RageS Strong
ly Among Many of the Latin
American Races.

:Pdper Read Before the Cha,aauqua Circle.
Scuba Libre" is again a reality and
it is natural that Americans should
manifest a keen interest in the progress
of Cuba's second essay of political
autonomy. Unquestionably it would
be we'll for the Cubans to adopt the re-
forms which the United States has en-
deavOred to implant among them, but
like other tin-Americans they want
some things which have fallen under
the ban of the Puritan conscience in
this country. Some of the reforms i'm
posed by American Intervention were
not popular with the Cubans, and, we
read among otte things that the Gu
bans can never forgive tie United
States for abolishing the lottery. The
newspapers tell us that the lottery was
among the tissues" which helped to
elect General Gomez president of Cuba
and now the re-establishment sof the
governmental lottery is within the
range of immediate possibilities.
In the United States the lottery has
been placed beyond the pale of the law,
but the existence of anything like q
universal sentiment in opposition to
the lottery even in this country is to be
doubted. The abolitiorof the Louisi-
ana lottery some years ago was by no
means altogether popular with Amer
icans; it was areform forced on the
country by legislation backed up by
many Influential afnewspapers.
Down in Mexico where the lottery
flourishes there is little sentiment op-
posed to it am, ng the large number of
resident Americans. In fact the Amer
leans play. the lottery as enthusiastic
ally as do Mexicans themselves. From
a purely ethical standpoint the LOTTERY
cannot perhaps be defended and it may
te matter of mere sentiment, but this
mild form of gambling has become part
anu parcel of the daily life of most Lat
in-American peoples. All the sordid
arguments of tt e grave economists and
dismal sermonizers are against the lot
terry: at is hostile to thrift" ''It dis
appoints thousands while it makes the
fortune of One." "Wtere lottery prize
goes, happiness flies out of the window y
All this We hear but yet We are not SO
sure that the lottery is wholly bad for
the community in which it exists
Thrift is good thing, much to be ap.
piauded, but all buyers of these fasci
mating little tickets are not spendthrifts
Men and women who play the lottery
are often prudent people, owners OF
their own homes, acquired at the cost
of many sacrifices and much self-denial
AS for disappointment" is it not 9
common experience? And that talk OF
felicity flying from him who wins 6
goedly prize is the merest rubbish. Ii
countries where the lottery exists, man!
a family is living quite at ease because
fat prize has come their way and wa
wisely invested.
Another argument against the Iotter.
is that no right thinking person can b.
happy when living on money not earne'
by his own effort. If this were true
the inheritor of large estate SHOULD
have qualms of conscience, but W
never hear of even "parlor socialist
selling his property and giving the pro
ceeds to his less fortunately placed com
rades. From all of them, as fron
Messrs. George Bernard Shaw and b
G. Wells, is heard the plea: "As societ
is now constituted it would be an &C
of folly, it would do no one any goo
for us to part with our posse sslons. w
can help the -'cause' more by remain
ing masters of our property" Ma
lives on hope, is fed daily by illusion
and little adventure in the lotter
gives him dream of happiness, Q
debts paid, q journey taken, new stal
in life made possible. In this day q
big syndicates and grinding comme
cialism the average man has as muc