CONCLUSION 353 



which if a man trusts he shall inevitably be ' broke ') ; 

 whereas, if they would lend their assistance (which, 

 of course, they will not do, from commercial con- 

 siderations) by ignoring ' odds ' and ' tips ' altogether, 

 the suppression of the monster would not be beyond 

 hope entirely. For it is said, though it may not be 

 generally known, that there was in olden times an idea 

 of abolishing cricket on account of the gambling to 

 which it gave rise ; yet, though there is no doubt some 

 betting on cricket-matches still, there is now no 

 systematic and ' quoted ' gambling connected with 

 that game. Nobody wants to prevent anybody from 

 forming an opinion and backing that opinion in the 

 good old English fashion by a wager in reason ; what 

 one would like to suppress is the * Society for the 

 Propagation of Gambling on Horse-Eacing ' (without 

 the trouble of forming an opinion, or caring for any- 

 thing but the nimble ninepence). 



It has been conceded that without the Eing there 

 would be less horse-racing, less valuable prizes, less 

 handsome prices for thoroughbred horseflesh, and 

 there would perhaps be no drawing-room meetings 

 (like Sandown and Kempton) ; but that might not be 

 a matter for regret, inasmuch as there is a general 

 complaint of over-racing, and (as it would leave 

 horse-racing pretty much to those persons, hundreds 

 of thousands in England who delight in the * strength 

 of an horse ') it would render * nobblings ' and other 

 obstacles in the way of ascertaining which is really 



A A. 



