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old middle classes. Other and many instances there are before us 

 of similar lowering down and rising up. Signs arouad us show plainly, 

 to all who are not blind through bigotry, that a gradual but steady 

 advancement is being mady towards ''equality," and anyone possessed 

 of ordinary mental ca])acity can gauge what the ultimate result of 

 that will be. 



The main root of all this radical growth and these latter-day ideas is 

 MONEY. We all agree that there is no means more conducive to the 

 attainment of socialism than the circulation of money, and the quicker 

 the process of course the sooner will come the great equali.-ati'>D. 



Betting on horse racing causes a larger amount of money to be 

 circulated than does some oi the greatest branches of trade we nave in 

 the kingdom, and it is the readiest means under the sun for circulating 

 money. 



Betting, therefore, is about the greatest ally the communist possesses ! ! 



How to deal with this terrible malady — this pestilence— I know not. 

 Legislation has failed even to infiuence betting, not to speak of con- 

 trolling it ; all other means have been equally unsuccessful. Yes, 

 even the experience reaped, as it is in bitterness, does not influence 

 the backer of horses, he still persists in his downward course. Not 

 alone does the habit bring ruin upon thousands, but assuredly a c m- 

 tinuance of it iu its present magnitude will before long thoroughly 

 demoralise the sport of racing. Of late years betting has become a 

 feature of not alone racing, but of nearly every one of our games and 

 pastimes. Football, cricket, boat-racing, all are impregnated with the 

 same horrible adulteration. 



Perhaps the only means whereby a check at all appreciable could be 

 brought to bear upon the vice would be for employers to insist that 

 those in their service should, v.ncW pain of dismissal, refrain from the 

 propensity. 



Inasmuch as it is impossible for legislation to suppress betting, perhaps 

 it ^YOuld be wiser for the authorities to open their eyes to the fact and 

 frame laws to govern it, and so admit it into the company of other 

 iniquitous institutions of the country. 



Lender the circumstance of betting being kept outside the pale, our 

 legislators have, I think, done pretty nearly all they could to carrail it 

 and lessen the evils ; assuredly they have done a lot towards harassing 

 those who bet. Some of the laws, however, appear very absurd. 



A man may bet in thousands on a racecourse so long as he stands on 

 the ground in the open air ; but if he stands on a stool or holds an 

 umbrrlla over him he can be had up. 



In drawing the line between betting in a social club and a public- 

 house the authorities are accused of making one law for the rich and 

 anotaer for the poor. They certainly have done so in this case, but 

 very properly. Their object manifestly is to protect the poorer meoibers^ 

 of society and prevent them from engaging in the pernicious practice. 

 Likewise is it right and proper to make raids upon houses notoriously 



