El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-18


@ '5y 5s sstss sgs5 ne part q bs'9 ass
81 efsnes Al $500 ss- - si-.d ~ ss- ~ sdissrisiS
& ~ s :, ~ I .S ~ 80 "a tS 80.
10 zone laenta. 1ssk EnA Ss
operating gares whose ODDS IN favor O me dealer would make
5oaist look sex Es1shy paia advertising at advanced
People whe lose znonsy On reut wheels pro-
pzotee9n than those vho d q space and prominence o.
safsEsd to invest their asass ana Liberty bonds in worth
o55sr that could profit the extent OF tou-
have invested dollar the strength ad-
view q these ne writer curious know
Htersa ny nosdEs Juarsz roulst wheels nave
At par most tEsH being in the 5sghbosood Of ise
sa H s asi '1s .s puzzle 5 hut ys gss s ana
those psrperafsd upon the
C Williams
TIE inquiry in the above letter as to just where The
Herald draws the line between gambling and legti-
nate enterprise" is entirely natural and proper one
is evidenced IN the letter above reprinted IS common
and similar inquiries have often been received and answered
in the past Never does the question Of gambling
up for discussion but what persons bring forward
statements like those in the letter and present them
clinching arguments for their position.
The line between gambling and legitimate enterprise is
not hard to draw There several ways to approach
the point Of decision.
In the first place. gambling ostsnsibly offers something
Of value without requiring useful work N return and
that N itself against public policy and against tbs pr
ciples Of ethics.
the sessad place gambling game proprstors can only
pay winnings By taking money from others (he losers)
without rendering fair equivalent offering to render
any equivalent and that is comparable to theft and rob
In the third place gambling becomes habit and vice
ana its usual result ruin men and women morally
and make them cheats and deadbeats if the be not
carried to that extent It at least and women
70 neglect useful occupations and abandon their dutes in
either case il is unee0nomic and constitutes wrong
against society whole creating class Of crones and
nonproducers who only live as parasites on the com
ngnity contributing nothing to human welfare but
aging to draw their susenancs from the fruits Of others
iaborB.
In the fourth place. gambling depends on chance to the
greatest degree the element Of skill when present at
all being comparatively uuportant; successful gambler
may be clever o. have good memory good knowledge
Of human nature mathematical mind and II may be
said tat be sarn7 his winnings By his wits but inasmuch
he contributes nothing TO human society these are not
earnings at al but TO be cassed with the clever and
sifu bo0kkeeper who falsifies the books Of bank OF
the clever ana esuF diEmond merchant who success
fully substitutes worthless stone for a fine diamond
turned to evil account have been outlaved crimes
Gambling skip OF elsvemess and forgery are in this
class
In the fifth place IN professional gambling including
rscetrack gambling, the odds always carefully calcu-
lated favor Of the house. and ths steady occasional
gambler who is not in the secrets is doomed from the
outset to lose matter what he may DO.
Gambling fulfls necessary economic function and
has excuse for being There is not single worthwhile
LldL cannot better played better
loysd without gambling, by all who have already
sc0me addicted 70 the vice Of gambling Gamblers do not
lay for the Of the game but fcI the sake Of rohbng
ithsr people Of money without rendering There
real sport in this than there Is In Tobhing
ash register.
The stock marsts and grain markets have often been
ted examples Of gambling" pure and simple. This Is
not The stock and grain exchanges perform necessary
c0noe function and for the most part the trades
gtste those IN any MARKET store The fact that
aublsrs otter take advantage Of the facilities these
hsnges offer is to the dsredt Of the exchanges
han is the fact that gamblers nay make q horses
playing cards dscredtabls to the horses the cards
If men and women desire TO gamble among themselves
= their private games they may Be criticised foolish
but they nay say that they merely paying for the
they get and might well be this way another
L is When people make business Of gambling and deib-
ratsly euto into the games persons who cannot afford
lose who have thought Of playing game IN the
rue sense but only Of taking money out Of somebody's
,ockst that public gambling becomes serious menace to
-he entire business community.
Some persons cannot distinguish between gambling and
e5usirsss risk" As has been said the gambler offers
contribute nothing TO the welfare Of humanity he develops
nothing, discovers nothing, makes nothing improves moth
nE grows nothing increases nothing brings nothing out
lf nature into the service Of Mankind transports nothing
erVss human necessity legitimate desire. The
Who takes business rsk the contrary has the pur
pose and intention and the expectation Of doing
more Of these things for the direct indirect benz Of
humanity He nay lose but If be wins he VII be taking
pay for service performed and not merely extracting
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