The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-03-06

that the Voice agrees or disagrees W
letters will be published in this space
degree at least, effectively.
Dear Editor:
In the February 18th issue of the
."People's Voice" one who signs him.
self "a Montana City Attorney" has
"craved" column of space in which
to discuss what l would consider a
lame attempt at justifying the lack OF
law enforcement in connection with
the Montana gambling law.
Our rambling city attorney seems
to have confused the gambling racket
with some of the natural processes of
life. He illustrates by citing such in
cidents as the fall of man in the Gar
den of Eden, Pandora's curiosity and
even the agricultural pursuits of the
farmer and calls gambling an instinct
and therefor unavoidable. The truth
is, the gambling racket is racket,
at least in this state, being unlawful,
and as such. cannot be justified by any
analogies taken from the natural or
ltBllllHhtt luACtlOiiS VI NV 4'NieitNi
can IT be attributed to natural In
stinct as friend attorney iterates. Pos
sibly he has his psychology some
what fuddled for science has found
nothing In mans biologic makeup to
warrant such a statement.
To quote our friend, 1.-THE evil of
which you complain, Mr. Editor, the
recreancy or yenality of officials
charged with enforcement Of the anti
gambling law lies deeper than the
faults of such officials" He also ac-
cuses public opinion embodied in
business interests, service clubs,
women's clubs, church organizations
etc. as being loath to see the gambling
law enforced
True, the lack of law enforcement
lies deeper than the officials. These
officials are only the willing tools by
which the gambling racket may be
carried on, They are the willing tools
of those who control the purse strings
of our cities and state. II may also
be true that church and club shut
their eyes to what is going on and |
believe they do to some extent, but
here again is only one answer and
that answer is the money motive, the
nickel under the foot" Professional
gamblers seek this way of obtaining
quick and easy money and they are
protected because those whose gold
supports the church and club are on
the receiving end of the string which
connects them up with the racketeers.
The only instinct involved In gam
bling is the instinct to acquire, to
grab-by fair means or foul PRINT
tive man possessed no Qualms as to
the rightness or wrongness of an act,
for right and wrong has been created
by civilization and today man Is gov
erned by laws he has set up for the
protection of his ideas of right and
wrong. Furthermore, if public opinion
had not been In favor of restricting
what it considers Objectionable 1t
would not have put upon the statute
books a law making gambling illegal
No, the evils of gambling are not
wrapped up in our human instincts
but in the evils of our money system,
enhanced by the further evil of its
being unlawful. The desire for mon
ey and for EASY money, coupled with
an responsibility of ones duty to
his fellows has led to not only the
gambling racket but to HORDES OF
OTHER RACKETS. 1t has led to the
exploitation of one man by another,
inhumanity in our business relations
and the corruption of society in gen.
eral. Human selfishness and greed
have prompted man to align himself
against justice and right and then to
attempt to rationalize his opposition,
just as a criminal always considers
himself innocent.
AS for the farmer, poor devil, it is
not an instinct of gambling that cause
him to SOW and to look forward to
time of reaping, it is his capacity for
looking hopefully into the future-and
what else can he do? If it were with
in his power to stabilize his business
by setting his own price on the pro-
duct he produces, as other business
does, and so eliminate the gambling
do not doubt that he would
do it.
Again quoting from City Attorney,
Liquor, gambling and prostitution
will never be eradicated until the Bib
Iical Millennium comes Well, that
may be a long time and it may be
short, / do not know and | venture
to say he does not either. But this
| am sure of, as sure as that the sun
will rise on the morrow that these
vices will never be eradicated until
motive is eradicated. Not
until institutions shall be organized
md operated for the service they
'ender to society and not for the spe-
;ific purpose Of filling Golfers with
profits. How long it will take to do
his, no one can say. 1t may not be
before Gabriel blows his trumpet, but
please, oh please, let us not attempt
o justify lawbreaking and vicious
PRACTICES by falsely labelling them hui
nan instinct.
M. EATON.