The Washington times., 1938-11-11
Lady Luck


against it. We do see it all about us-and, think not
much can be done about it,
For this reason we question the viewpoint which leads
Judge of the United States District Court to impose
long sentence on one of the small fry who happened to be
caught with numbers slips.
At the same time we agree with this juris who empha
sized in his opinion delivered from the bench the need
of the District Attorney and the members of the Police
Department cooperating in drive to bring before the
courts the big shots in the gambling rackets He pointed
out that the new numbers law is not accomplishing its
objective.
In effect the Judge said that though his duty to
sentence minor members of the gambling element it would
afford him far greater pleasure
He Wants Police to sentence the leaders of the
tn Get Lenders gambling rings.
If we're going after the num-
bers racket there's only one way to do it. Mr. Dewey in
New York has shown the way He to be getting
somewhere by going after the at the top instead of
the statesmen and stooges farther down the line
This. oo is criticism of the police and prosecuting
agencies, who might we'll follow Mr.. Dewey's formula if
they really want to curb the racket.
And that brings to the real point, which is that
since can't stop gambling it might be good idea to
regulate it and get out of it, The gambling
instinct is old human
H FUCt nature, and human nature
Of Human Nature changes Lttle II at all
1t might be argued that it
Is also human to kill and steal and that don't permit
or regulate" indulgence of these instincts but outlaw
them and make the penalties sufficiently to
as deterrent.
But gambling differs from these other human impulses
in that it's expression within reason does little to harm
anyone but the gambler and does not always harm him.
People speculate in stocks, play cards for money-for
prizes at church socias They throw dice, buy lot
terry tickets, match pennies and bet the good
many bets lost last Tuesdays elections
You take chance when you go into business make
investment. You may say that this isn't gambling-that
you using Judgment But that is exactly what you
do when you bet horse election You are back
ing your judgment your hunch, just you most
of the time when you gamble rise in the stock mar
ket that So-andso make go of a newspaper or
of the automobile airplane or brewing business.
And what's the matter with lotteries, anyway? It is
true they can be demoralizng influence, and in
of the Latn-Amercan countries But that doesn't
Saxons northern people generally to Negroes.
If for two anitor truck driver or laborer
get bit of hope happiness out of the thought that he
might win fifty a hundred dol
WUttOnS FLOU lars, why not let him spend the two
~ TpoIon1 cents? And the Irish Free State
which takes some millions of dollars
from Americans lotteries every year, to get
along.
The people of Maryland showed Tuesday that
than $4,000 out of 100000 who voted on the lottery
amendment believe that Sateregulated lotteries might
be good thing making lotteries legal and raising
for the State which otherwise will have to be raised
by taxes.
Aside from the moral issue, there is one it is clear
enough that raised through lottery is raised
with less pain the contributor than he has to write
out check to the tax collector
It's something to think about at least And so long as
we're thinking, might we'll think straight and not
shut eyes to facts.
Washington Needs
Self Government and National Representation in