The Port Gibson reveille., 1914-03-05
The Book Loves Contest Again Is
Ii Gambling ?

provoked some discussion pro, and
con. Another remark or two
seems fitting
WHAT'S gambling boiled down
! all unnecessary features eliminat
ed : This is a definition that will
stand any test-A chance to win
that necessarily involves the loss
Of another. Every word is essen
tlal 10 the deflition The farmer
who plants takes a chance some
one says. but bis loss profits no
one else. BY chance we mean
further any future contingency, a
guess, a dream, the weather, a
turn Of weel, etc, .,etc. The B. L.
c. devotes takes a chance to win,
aud if she wins another must lose,
the future contingency being the
way the mind of the. contest editor
turns, and what name he will as
sign out OF several huudredspossiS
BILE ones to a given picture.
Tbefe9 is fundamental law of
human society," that every unit of
society shall labor. This law Of
labor is the physical 5asis Sof so.
ciety. The farmer plants and har
vests his cotton aud by his. labor
adds to the value of his product
The railroad transports his pro
duct to the manufactures ana so
lives by its workin transportation,
and adds value to the cotton; the
m anufacturer applies bis skill and
adds much to the product; the
merchant lifts the finished product
from the warehouse and places it
before the consumer and by his la
Dor adds to its value. The so cal
led non producing class, conserve
what is produced and so add value.
The lawyer is a part of the machin-
cry of justice aud conserves the
products of society; the preacher
from the lowest point of view is a
police agent for good order and
healthy public sentiment, and so
helps to conserve the products of
Others; the housewife adds to the
value of human effort by conserv.
ing her husbands products. So
written deep in our socialfabric is
this law of labor. What value
does a labor SO called in B. L.
c. add? This labor simply trans
fers an amount of money from one
class to another, few in number.
The paper out of 10000 contest
ants realizes $4,000. 1t immedi-
ately takes out "a of this for its
profits, and puts the balance up as
prize money, for a few to win.
1he much talked of labor simply
transfers without adding value or
attempting to do SO.
Another fundamental law is
patent. There are but two Iegiti-
mate ways in human society of OBJ
tanning property. By gift or pur-
chase. There is no gift in this
case. Is it a purchased it 7 Gro
tesque indeed. There has been
given no "quid pro quo" The
card prize player, the B. L. G..
devotee, the common gambler
have all staked sum of money
and their winnings necessarily IN
volve the loss of another, for which
winning. they have given nothing.
Let US grant that the book is
honest and there take this case;
ten farmers pool their interests,
aud agree that they shall work
hard for year, and that the one
that makes the biggest pumpkin
shall have all the crops of the
others. How long would com
merce, industry, any business last
upon such 3 basis2 But every
farmer works. and works bard.
The wrong is that one does not
get something for his labor.
Ifitis wrong econimically and
morally in one case it is in all
cases. Again, suppose q music
teacher purposes to have 100 of
the girls of our homes pay each g5
for a chance to have music taught
her for year, but only the five
who guess closest to the number of
shot IN a pot can really take music.
Would any Of our mothers who
have mad their feelings hurt by the
remarks of Observer be willing TO
ALs~ l,.-xLto~c thsc NAV ?