Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-31
HABIT OF GAMBLING.
It is as Old as the World and There's
No Use Trying to Stop 1t.

From the beginning of things men
| have gambled. Abraham divided the
lands OF his children by lot, and his
disciples drew lots for the Masters
clothing in the shadow OF the cross.
Historically the fate of many a nation
has been decided on the whim of n
woman, which was the gamble of man:
people have been plunged into whole
| sale tragedy on the turn of card, the
throw Of the dice. The Peggy Stewart
was burned on a gamble that the peo-
pie Of the colonies would support with
Ptheir life blood the act Of vandalism
which was a patriotic necessity.
| Had the whole people refused to in
dorse the act of that violent Anne Ar
| undel minority. in spirit. if not in
form. those who perpetrated it would
have swung from the end of a rope.
No great business enterprise was
ever successfully launched excepting
in a spirit of venture. Nothing ven
ture. nothing have has come to- be a
truism as established as human ma
ture. Not long ago n man invented n
commodity. and promoters with faith
in his work invested thousands of dol
lars on the gamble that they would
be able to create n market before they
were shocked by opposition. An ex-
listing concern, whose interest would
have been injured by the new COM
modify. promptly squeezed the new
company out of existence and the in
veStOrS out of pocket. In the lowly
language Of the dice: table the new
concern made a good point, but
trapped out. If the Frederick county
charge to the grand jury goes literally
which it wont--therc will be no
more chances at church functions. no
more wheels at county fairs and no
more drawings for charity.
Whether or not this would work q
social Improvement may be doubtful
question. But that such strict inter-
pretations of the law cannot be car
ried out practically seems to be proved
by the experience of all large COM
munities. Behind all laws there must
be an approving public opinion: other
wise those laws win not be inforced.
And the fact is that the average man
is not outraged at the thought of buy
ing a few stocks on margin or playing
the wheel of fortune at Timonium, or
investing a dime in a church rattle.
If confronted by the proposition that
it is not logica! to object to the Louis
lana lottery or policy playing and then
taking chance on turkey at
Thanksgiving time. he says. "Drat
logic" In his inner consciousness he
appreciates the fact that there is a
happy mean III these affairs, to go
beyond which, whether logical or not.
means absurditv.
He knows that policy playing is bad
and he won't stand for it. He knows
that poker playing for high stakes is
harmful but he doesn't see the harm
of penny ante. The theory of the
thing doesn't bother him. And in re-
gard to the blue laws generally he Is
apt to reason this way when he rea-
sons at all: If Jones wants a drink
on Sunday let him have it. And Il
Smith wants to sell Jones the drink
let him sell it. But when Smith is al
lowed to sell. and Robinson. who keeps
the place opposite his. isn't, then that's
a sign that there's some graft doing
and it's time to inquire into it. Or IL
Smith gets a disorderly crowd about
his place while selling on Sunday he
ought to be closed. If Robinson al
lows the boys to go in his back room
and have little game that's all right.
but If he gets regular gamblers out
fit and takes n rake off then you'd bet
ter shut him up. Sooner or later some
one is going to get stung in that place.
Mixed up in his logic. isn'tXhe, the
average man? But. then, even the
philosophers are that.--Baltimore Sun.