Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-03-09

BRooKvILLK. INDIANA.
rniDAY. MARCH o. 1880.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Having been asked why we persist
in refusing to advertise for lotteries,
We answer. 10 q few words. that We
gard the buying and selling Of
lottery tickets as q very Objectionable
feature Of gambling. and gambling as
q very Objectionable feature Of steal
ing. This should be satisfactory 10
al inquiries. A word Of explanation.
may howsver.be admissible.
In the decalogue. the short but
comprehensive commandment "Thou
shalt not stcal." embraces all that Is
said In reference TO fraudulently oh.
tanning the goods Of another. or
obtaining them vilhou! rendering
an equivalent. It Includes oil man
ner Of dishonesty and fraud. and
though custom. or statutory law may
imploy different phases OF fraud. yet all
are included under this general prohi-
bition. and only in the eyes Of man can
there be any difisrencs-there is none
In the sight Of God. Hs who over
reaches his neighbor BY taking the nd.
vantage Of his ignorance. or by mis-
representations. 10 no less thief, be.
cause common parlance calls him q
shrcwd business man. or q shar ,er In
trade. aud society win no! have attain.
ed perfection until thieves Of all grades
arc put on . level. We can respect
the man more who steals our horse
than We can him who takes the advan-
taao Of our con6dencs-in him or our
ignorance. and defrauds US to Nm equal
or greater amount. by misrepresenta-
ton.
That gambling Is stealing. We may
easily argue from the fact that lift Is
not forbidden In tho passage just quo
ted, IL Is not forbidden in the Bible at
all. But We may add that every 81.
ement Of gambling is dishonest. This
we need not argue. II Is as self-evi-
dent as that the wholcis equal to all
its parts, and the only reason
that it's not called by that plain name
Is that custom. long ago. sanctioned it
In polite circles, and law has licensed
and protected IL even Ia some states of
this Union. and even where II Is for
hidden. no adequate penalty Is affixed
to the law.
Is il honest for an experiencer card
player to induce an unsusPecting
youth to part with his money at a game
Of cards? And though he sits down
TO the trble Of his own accord, In.
stigated thereto by love of pleasure
or q hope Of gain. it's even worse than
stealing. for the moral character OF the
victim is first destroyed by obtaining
his consent to defraud his competitsl
ifpossible. As the man who falls in
duel. Is as much murderer as the
man who shoots him. so is the loser
at a game Of cards. as much viliar
as the winner. though perhaps less
racticed. Instead. therefore. Of hold.
ing the gambler in more esteem thar
him who Is called n thief, we should
esteem hlO as more dangerous char
acter as he first ruins and then rob'
his victim. An ordinary thief may
take money and yet leave the victims
character. unsulied, gambling THE
6rst polutes. then robs.
Now. wherein is the buyer or sellel
Of lottery tickets, different from
card-player? In no respect whatever
And We would here express our con
viciion that there is no moral differ
ence between the buyer and tn
seller, and there should be no lega
difference. The seller may commi
more sins, and may defraud NOR
men. but that is all. For a man TO thin
that he may honestly acquire higl
prize, by the ordinary price Of tick
ct, is to evince that he has but loos
estimate Of mutual rights. He VIII
hourishes a gold watch worth $3.50
that he drew with ticket which cost
him dollar. Is carrying an article Il
which I4s other persons have an equa
interest to himself. In other words
he has deIraudedl4s persons. to oh
tain tin other words he has stoler
from i49 fellow thieves, violating. MOI
only the decalogue but the saw which
says "there is honor among thieves. 7"
And to believe that property thus &C
quired will be be Of service to the pos
SCISSOR is to ignore the providence o
God. The lucky drawer is an unlucky
man. He has obtained that who's,
very touch Is poison. II 1t vanishe'
not, under the curse of God. /. COR
rupts and ruins the possessor. Mer
may. by such schemes, evade tn,
laws Of man. but there is o "highel
law" TO which they must submit
whether they desire to or not. Ant
he who has said 'Rob.no the poor be
causel he is poor" will not be un
unmindful Of such persons in the da,
of accounts.
Enfertainino these views Of letter