Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1913-03-27

'oui CAOck AMI play until supper time,
he will do 80. just as scores of govern
ment clerks do at Washington. In the
evening he plays Acknowledgement Is in
the air-challeuge is abroad--he will
come out even, and then quit. Men who
have work to do cannot play all night
and do business the next day. so mid.
night may end the game.
But Saturday night the GENE goes on
until daylight. Of the morality of
gambling, nothing need be said-all that
I affirm is that it is simply absurd to en-
ter on a habit where success is defeat,
and to win is a calamity
The successful amateur gambler grad.
yates into a professional, he has to, for
business men shun him.
No man who plays cards for money
can keep his position long. The fact is.
none OF US have a surplus of brains, and
II yon are going to succeed in business.
all the power you have to your credit is
demanded. The man who can play
cards at night and do business in the
daytime, hasn't yet been born.
Life is a hank account. with so much
divine energy at your disposal What
are you going to do with it? If you draw
your checks for this, you cannot for that
take your choice. And above all, do
no draw on the Bank Of Futurity by
breathing bad air, keeping bad hours
ard bad company.
The man who succeeds in business is
the n who goes to bed before ten
O'Clock at night; and only one thing is
he jealous Of, and that is outdoor exer.
else.
Gambling robs a man OF rest; aud the
keen edge of his life is lost in shutting
the pasteboards. All he gives to his en-
ployer or the world is the discard. Out.
side Of his play he is weak, inefficient
person, and his weakness is very apt to
manifest itself in burdening his friends.
The curse Of gambling does moi fall on
tue gambler alone, any more than the
drunkard alone suffers for his fault. Suf
ferinx falls upon every one within the
radius Of the gambler.
If your gambler is on a salary, he very
often comes around for his wages before
pay day; then he gets to discounting his
salary to a money shark; then, if he can,
he will borrow" his pay before he earns
it, without first consulting You. He in
tends to pay 1t back-oh, yes!
He wins and pas it back.
This encourages him to borrow more
the next time. lie takes more in
order to win more. He is now obliged
to play heavily because his debts are &C.
cumula,ing.
1t is an old story, and dozenIof men
in Sing Sing can tell you all about it.
One bad feature Of the poker game is
the poker face impassive, white
face with its cold smile. 1t reveals moth
~ing-nothing bu, untruth. And the
principal reason it reveals nothing is be.
cause there is nothing back of it to re.
veal. it does not token truth. talent.
sympathy, kindness, .ove, nor intellect.
Our actions and thoughts are building
brain cells, aud the gambler is building
cells OF folly. His face is astute as the
face OF David Harum 1t given nothing
away In time the habit of the man be.
comes hxed-he is a living lie. He lies
to friends, family, employer, and bust.
ness associates, He forever plays a part.
Life to him is a game of bluff. And get
1t out OF your head that the liar does not
look you squarely in the eye. The poker
player is a scientific liar. running on the
low gear. and his eyes ,cok calmly into
yours. He is astute.
Astu'eness is only valuable in protect.
ing us from astu'e people. 1t adds moth.
ing OF value to the community.
Astuteness adds no beauty to the
world, nor does it make life for any man
happier.
In strict scientific economies the gam.
bler is parasite and a thief He con-
sumes but does o produce.
II four men start in to play poker with
ten dollars each, or a thousand dollars
each. 1t is just a matter of mathematical
calculation before all of them will have
nothing All they have will go for CT.
gars and drink. and the midnight lunch.
which they would not need if they went
to bed at a reasonable hour.
No man can play the races continually
mud utn Yn1,t, L NIl. II "