COMMERCIALISM. 303 



was a great counterfeiter. The members of the 

 next generation were well known to the police 



and were considered experts, while in the third Family of 

 . . , . . . , Counterfeiters. 



generation the criminal skill reached such a high 



degree in seven brothers and sisters that they were 

 considered the most expert counterfeiters in 

 America. 



Through the law of heredity and prenatal cui- 

 ture the speculative and gambling instinct is being 

 developed to an alarming degree. Ten times Increase of the 

 more money changes hands today in games of 

 chance, in proportion to the population and wealth 

 of the country, than did a quarter of a century 

 ago. Honest, steady increase no longer satisfies the 

 average man. Many prefer to risk their all in 

 wild speculation, or to enter some illegitimate 

 business that offers exceptional profits rather than 

 settle down to honest trade. 



This gambling instinct is seen not only among 

 the great financiers of the world, who manipulate 

 the boards of trade and stock exchanges; in the 

 professional gambler and swindler, but also 

 among artisans, shopkeepers and common labor- 

 ers. Thousands of hard earned dollars pass from 

 the horny hands of labor to the soft hand of the Classes, 

 professional in our pool rooms and gaming houses 

 every night. It is estimated that there are 250,- 

 000,000 poker chips in use in this country, nearly 

 all of which represent coin in games of chance, 

 and yet this is but one of thousands of devices for 

 gratifying the gambling instinct. 



Thousands of children are born with morbid 

 commercial inclinations. Their first manifesta- 



