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AFK-taat DlirinS kst February the
executive of that famous
High Game , - , 1 1 , «
coutmental haunt or vice,
Monte Carlo, made a clear profit of
£150,000 out of the excited gamesters
who frequent its tables. There was
consequent suicidal flight from life by
many ruined gamblers, who chose
death rather than existence without
means to pay ' ' debts of honour.7'
Much comment was caused in
England — which sends countless reek-
less spirits to this earthly inferno, —
and in the House of Commons the
Government was petitioned to use-
influence to bring the tempting evil to
an end. But unfortunately there was
reason to look nearer home. The
Duke of Manchester's eldest son, by
.excited betting and card-playing,
impoverished himself and went far to
cripple many trusting creditors. Lord
Bateman's heir emptied his pockets
at baccarat, ending up with assets
estimated at £o00, and liabilities
placed at £60,000, of which £20,000
were scheduled as gambling debts..
But these "peacock popinjays bravely
born" were not the only plucked birds,
Yery many richly-keritaecl youths,
and scores of once-wealtliy men of
fashion, were found to be elther ruined
or hastening along the road thither.
Sin at home very often appears less
heinous than crime at a distan.ee, but
— to the great honour of the police
be it spoken — in this matter there was
110 dallying with wrong because those
who participated in it ere nobly bom
find influential. The existence of tfof
evil and 5 ike danger of-its furf!
Spreading were recognised, and by a
sudden swoop on the most aristocratic
gambling dubs in London, much hag
been done towards cheeking and
ultimately suppressing it.
In this bold attack on iniquity
the highest places the British authori
ties have shown conduct in striking
contrast to that manifested in tha
recent case againstMadameBRussELLs
and, indeed, in the generality 0f
instances in which kindred matters
are dealt with by colonial police.
the crusade against this particular
vice of gambling it is the Chinese
fantan player, the pitch-and-toss of
the newsboy, or at most the fre
quenters of the lower skittle-alleys
who are meddled with. If the strong
arm of the law is reached out towards
the raee ground, the expounds ©f
the three-card trick, the insinuating
doodlem-buek man, or the roguish
thimble-rigger, may be snatched away
in the midst of his money-making
but very great care is taken not to
offend more exalted spielers. Gam
bling for terribly high stakes goes ou
unchecked in many " clubs" in Mel
bourne, and every class of society ig
met with allurements to play long
and recklessly. The Government iu
a manner are accessories in the uni
versal crime, for in the intercolonial
railway carriages — especially when
race-attending passengers are on
board — solo-whist, loo. napoleon,
and other recklessnesses are engaged .
in for ruinously high stakes. Be
tween Melbourne and Sydney not
long since as much as £900 was seen
in a single " pool" during one of
these racing pilgrimages.
When the Law carefully attends
to the morals of the poor and
allows the rich to offend with
impunity, its meed is eon-
tempt and not respect. But such
an assault on wickedness in high
places as that made in London last
week, has good moral effect light
down to the lowest grades of 6oeiety.
If the wealthy Earl is punished for
breaking the law, the impecunious
costermonger, though lie grumbles at
arrest and chastisement, will jet
reverence the impartiality of the Jus
tice which condemns him. If the eiub
house of the wealthy is raided, the
fantan den will — from sheer force of
the moral effect thus created — be soon
swejit out of existence.
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