The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-04-21
"UNCLE SAM, GAMBLER"

This in effect is the sign that proponents Oh the
Kenney national lottery bill would hang out over
every Unit States post office. 1t is lncredlple
that such proposal could have been brought 1or-
ward by any responsible person five years, four
years, even, two years ago. Nothing could be more
significant of the alarming slump in the American
attitude toward public morals than that this pro-
posai should now receive serious hearing before
o committee of congress. 40
In defense of the vicious scheme it is urged
thatit weud raise 81 900, 100000 annually for the
benefit of war veterans and that it would keep IN
the United States large sums which are gong
out to lotteries conducted in foreign countries
The author of the bill denies that the plan is
gambling venture and says it would be accepted
bv the country as chance to contribute toward
the support of the vetreans If this is the object
WIN not make it an open gift fund of which not
60 but 100 per cent would go to needy former
service men?
II NAV be granted that 60 per cent is pretty
large "takeu for the "house" in any so-called game
of chance But it is as plain the on mans
face that the major hope of drawing money into
the scheme is the expectation that considerable
number of suckers" Will play a 1O00-to-1 chance
of getting something out of the remaining 40 per
cent.
This is the gambling "instinet" which the back
ers plead in extenuation of such bills. But these
pleaders fail to make the vital distinction between
those risks and uncertainties which, humanity speak
ing, are unavoidably incident to many kinds of
useful enterprise and the wholly unnecessary Gre
alton of artificial chances for no human purpose
except to pander to the deluson of getting some
thing for nothing. Congress and the administra-
to minimum the mere gambling type of specula-
ton ON the securities and commodities markets;
why, then, manufacture new and even less excusa-
bic types of gambling for the multitude? .,
The recognition of widespread tendency t"
wager is far from justifying national sponsorship
of chance-selling which would not merely cater to
human irailty but would enormously foster and
encourage it. Picture the moral effect on the ma
tons youth of putting Uncle Sam into business as
one of the worlds biggest gambling-house keepers
Where the postal savings window has stood as a
national Endorsement of honest thrift there would
be set.up opposite it in every village competing
teller's cage of the national lottery!
Such price in national honor and morale is
too much to pay for doubtful method OF
keepings funds within the national boundaries. If
that is a problem, far more does it indicate that
American citizens should give their outspoken sup
port to officials who working to enforce the
laws against the circulation of lottery tickets in
the United States. This would strengthen the
hands of those who, in other countries, are urging
laws to SUPPRESS these syndicates at their source.
If the object is to provide for the care of the
veteran, the American people has already shows
itself willing even in time of dire stress to provide
for him much more richly than any other nation
on the globe and to do so by the process of taxa
ton. This is the wise and honest way, and the
way that involves no hangoyers. ,.u
Suppose the relief of those incapacitated by
wounds of battle is paid for by national lottery
Who then will pay for the support of the economi-
caly disabled, the thousands Slapped of self-sup-
port by the cultivated gambling habit, the moral
casualties of a long sniping war with the loaded
wheels of chance? Perhaps then we shall be ad-
Vised, as is already advocated in New York state,
to set up another lottery for the relief of the Job
less and INDECENT. And so on ad infnitum ad ig-
nominiani. ,.....
| Make no mistake about it. The effect of an of
Iclal lottery for any purpose is to draw money
not from the strong but from the weak-and to
perpetuate that weakness. No extremity could JUS
| tlfy the nation in further weakening itself by
starting q national Iottery-The Christian Science
Monitor :.