The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-01-09
LET THE DARKEYS PLAY

| Punta Gorda Herald: Darkeys, as
we'll as white folks need mental recre-
alton. Those working in the big
mills, in the phosphate mines and on
the turpentine farms have to rely on
their own devices or resources for
amusement, for that mental relaxa-
ton that contributes to their efficien-
cy. On rainy days and at other times,
Sundays often, their means of rec
reation are quite limited. Petty
gambling, shooting craps" or play
ing "skin" is the only thing that oc-
ours to them to while away the
time"
In these games, the stakes are
very small. We venture to say that
the total rarely ever amounts to as
much as five dollars and we don't be-
lieve that one player in ten ever quits
the game that much ahead.
Further, the darkeys above refer
red to are not professional gamblers
who depend upon the games for their
support. They are hard working lab
orers earning an honest living by
daily toll.
If they are not permitted to amuse
themselves in their own way, they are
likely to stray off from the camps and
do something worse. They might,
for example, go out and steal chick
en- or pig. We have known young
white men to steal chickens for
amusement and in some instances
the chickens were worth more than
all the money changing hands in a
game of Craps"
We think it better and more hon
est to gamble for two or three dollars
by way of mental recreation than to
rob a chicken house or cane patch.
We can't expect the darkeys to
spend the rainy days praying and
singing and preaching, or even in
reading Browning or Shakespeare,
nor can they sleep all the time; and,
therefore, in view of the fact that
an idle mind is the devils work
shop" we think that it should be
4 : against III IAC CGSG III Vic
darkeys by permitting them to play
"skin" and shoot "craps" during
| those hours when circumstances pre-
vent them from working. In such
| cases the officers of the law, we think,
would be justified in "seeing no evil,
| hearing no evil"
We are moved to these remarks by
reading in the Ocala Star an article
, in which the officers are critized for
their diligence in searching for dar-
/ key "crap" shooters, arresting them
and bringing them into court where
they are fined heavily or sentenced
; to do hard labor for a month or two
The Star charges the officers with
discriminating against the darkeys
| and in favor of white men who regu
larly gamble for much larger stakes
) We never hear of white men being
: arrested for gambling, though there
] is reason to believe that in ever!
, town of the state there are at leas
few who are guilty.
The Star rightly argues that wha
: is "sauce for the goose should b.
{ sauce for the gander,'' to which w
3 will add that we think gambling b!
: white men is morally worse thar
: 'crap" shooting by negroes.
D Further the Star intimates that of
: fetal persistence and diligence in ar
resting and prosecuting negro scrap
D shooters is prompted chiefly by de
sire for the fees which the officer
: get, more so than by a sincere an
j honest wish to uphold the laws. Tha
t is, the arrests would not be made,
: the officers did not get pay for them
We do not incline to this view
s though it is entertained by many PEG
pie We rather think that the off
GERS are over-zealous, and they find
n easier to catch darkeys than whit
s men. At any rate, we think the
e would not be guilty of a serious of
: fence, if in passing negro cabil
v wherein they believed game o
' scraps" was being played, they wer
i to close their eyes and ears. Afte
t the game is over, the players vii
0 resume their regular work in the mil
: or mine and thus help the enterpris
e ing white man get rich.