The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1858-09-23
GAMBLING,

GAMBLING.
In another column will be found 4 letter
@ntten to the Abingdon Virginian by an In
mate Of n prison, warning young men ana
Others against the Use Of whisky and the prac-
tice of gambling. This Young mans name
was Pate, and was born, no doubt, of the best
parents. He murdered Il feIlow-creature at
the card table and suffered the ignoblc penal
" of death by hanging. We invite n peru
sal of his letter by all, but most especially by
many young men IN our " immediate VI
cinity, who have been drawn into the snnres
set by, men who are so corrupt and lost to
every sense Of honor as to i~nsinuate them
selves unawares into the social circles Of our
town, and in secret carry on their damnab,e
professions. Yes, you may shudder at the
thought and cndeavor to dismiss it from
your mind, yet it is true that even VIM
chester's little limits are blackencd by the
disg race which gamblers ever brc d in their
midnight paths. Yes, in her social circ'es
are to be found traps and designs for dccoy-
ing the upwary and verdant youth and steal
ing from him, not only his meagrc earnings,
but his character, his regard for famiIy ties,
his energy, hiSindustry, his noble qualities
HIS SOUL. Oh, what a pity, what a shame
If the laws of our land can do nothing, will
not God mcte out to such a punishment too
awful to contemplate =! "By the sweat of
our Brow we are commanded to live, yet
here we have u set Of beings who live upon
money that, in the sight of God, had as well
been stolen. Revolving as the thought may
seem, dear mother, indulgent fathcr, revolving
as it may seem, yet it is true that you have
q son whose hours at night are spent around
the card table. That son whom you have
struggled so earnestly TO keep in the right
patll-llat son to whom you have looked for
comfort in the future-lhat son you so dearly
love-yes, he is u gambler. When your
eyes are closed in sleep, his are glazing in
excitement over the card table, and amor n
suatf' at the wretched bottle adds TO his deep
or degradation. If you ask how come him
there, we can only answer, twas association.
That association is easily found-lt walks
athwart our streets in the broad mondays
sun. 1t has the cxterio. of a man but the
design of the devil. Pray TO God that your
son become not u victim, since The tempta-
ton, alas cannot be avoided-slnce our law
thus far is Intellectual.
We can find no words 10 express the hor-
ror we entertain for a man who would in
duce another to take his Honest and hard
earned money and lay it down upon a card
table subject 10 the hazard of n card. Oh!
young men, do not play cards. We can
hook with a little clemency on the vi OF
drinking when compared with gambling
Slough, alas the two evils are genera y
connected. We are a young man curse t.
Our next birthday will be our twen'y-first.
We know q Young man who has been once
at a faro bank. With shame we confess he
gambled one tine, but God forbid he should
ever again thus lose his reason. Yes, once
he was in a faro bank-thc low, filthy, de-
ties able, dishonest, corrupt, awful, hrlIlsh
resor: of thieves and gamblers. He staId
about one hour. His eyes saw enough, and
before they should again witness such scenes
of deliberate stealing we hope they may be
closed in death that shall never know a wa
king.
Oh! how our heart sickens when we see
that father, TO whose parental guide has been
given a little family of chiIdren-a blessed,
bright.eyed little boy-a lovely, faxen-hai"ed
little girl-to see him a dealer of cards and
risking on them the means that ought to sup
port his Oifspring-lo see him leave a ten
der, doting, yet unsuspecting wife, and seek
the companionship of galnblers-oh! how
strange, how wrong! Look at the sad eX-
amples around US. What has gambling done
for the late Secretary of the State OF Ten
nessee, who now roves in Europe a dishonest
man, and a defaulter in the sum of $4,000,
Look in our own county Jail and see o speci-
men of degradation who orce walked the
streets Of Winchester an honest man, but
gambling has sealed his doom-has robbed
him not only of his property, but taken his
honor. All look closer home still. See
that young man born and raised in your little
town. See him at a late hour in the night
naklng his way into den Of gamblers, and
Nnless the love OF his parents and friends can
Avail something. he must be lost. God knows
our aid shall be given. 1t hurts us to behold
. young man Of noble passions being led oil
by those whose highest and most praisewor-
fhy aim seems to be perfection in the use oil
cards-whose only teacher is HoyIe. lfany
young friend of ours, or any reader OF the
Journal, have the temptation to gamble Of
fered him, let him spurn it as he would a hid
eous serpent. Take an exalted position and
walk therein, and soon you will be pointed al
by gamblers as one impregnable to their de
sires. Let them know that you look upon
\gamlng astoo base, too horrible, too damnIng
dor an honest mant to counienance. As fol
bur part, We would sooner have a man ask IL:
10 Join him in plaIn-out robbery than in a
game OF cards where money or property is
the stake. These are our opinions, and We
promise to advance some "more of the same
sort" hereafter.