The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-10-25

| attention to the subject of GAMBLING.
This is a form of sin which is not ex-
pressly mentioned in the Scriptures.
Probably many OF the inspired writer's
never came into personal contact with
IL. Others were silent in regard to it,
not because they did not look upon II
us an evil, but because they believed it
to be sufficiently condemned by the
general laws of morality. The sacred
writer's could not explicitly notice
every kind of lransgresSiOn without
expanding the scriptures into vast,
unwieldy, and costly series of volumes
which, by their size, would have in a
large measure, defeated the very object
for which Il revelation has been given.
That gambling is a sin, according to the
Bible and all right views OF good and
evil, l hope to make abundantly appa-
rent before we are done with the sub
ject, this evening. We may, therefore,
accept the advice OF Solomon, in the
text, as entirely applicable to 1t: "My
son, If sinners entice thee" that Is. II
they entice thee 10 iall into this trans
gression, consent thou not"
GAAiBLISG AS IT Is AMONG Us.
The essential characteristic of gam
bling is the stalking OF money upon the
contingencies OF some future event. Ii
is betting upon the issue OF causes
which are yet at work when the bet is
made. Now, il this is the essential ell
ement in this sin, then we must at once
recognize the sad fact that it has of late
In this country met with no decline,
but on the contrary il has vastly In.
creased. Not only have such means
of gambling as the card table, the faro
bank and the billiard saloon held their
own, but other instrumeutaIities
which hitherto were comparatively un-
known among us or had been forced
into the back ground by public opinion,
~ F,rN which .tf-
tracts universal attention. We open
our morning newspaper and we read
of n boat race and OF the thousands Oi
spectators assembled and OF the vast
sums of money which, as the phase
goes, exchanged hands upon the result.
| Perhaps i'll the very next paper we
have an account of brutal prize fight
in which two human beings pounded
each other TO jelly. We5are told how
the railroad companies furnished e9-
cursion trains which were filled tC
overlooking, and OF many other Incl
dents OF the wretohed scene. Then
come what are still called Agricultural
Fairs Once these institutions were
universally appreciated because they
| were so we'll calculated to advance the
interests of the farmer and the Inechhn-
ic. They were places where IL man
could no: only himselfgo with good
conscience, but also where he could
/ lhhe Ills ldIAlll "LlHOuI vi
leading his children into temp
| taIion, or of putting even the
most refined ladies' inIo position
where they would witness anything OF
Il disreputable character. The inaug-
urators OF these Fairs deserve all credit
| for their Intentions, and for the good
| which was actually accomplished i'll
! the past. But it is a tuct of public no
toriety thai now i'll many instances our
| Agricultural Fairs are something quite
| different, under the disguise OF that
name. The farmer or the mechanic
meets at least practically with but
| small encouragement to exhibit his
products. But the horse jocky-the
| habitue of the rHce.cOurse, finds him
self n welcome guest; and in coDSenial
society. Whether IL is honorable,
whether II is legal to perVert grounds
| and expenditures in this way, | VIII
not now consider. That it is sin, |
do insist. My sou, If sinners entice
| thee to fall into il, consent thou not.
THE DUTY OF DISCUSSING THE SUBJECT.
am aware that there is a cluss of
persons in every community who
would be glad to brand any allusion 10
such IA subject Hs this, especially under
existing circumstances, as piece oil
| impertenence. They would stop the
mouth of the ministry by telling us to
attend to oar own business. We claim
that the duty OF rebuking all such sins,
and of warning men against them Is
our business. L am fully aware that a
minister of the gospel is not set up to
be- censor OF public morals. Men of
| the world are not in any sense response
| BILE TO us for their misdeeds. LIVERY
one of us shall give an account of him
| felf to God" Rom. l4:l2. Be it so.
Only let us remember that II is fear
| full thing to fall into the hands of God
who has been outraged by our iniqui-
Al, FNFF ~
ministry have some duties to perform
with reference to just such matters as
| that now under consideration. ! stand
here tonight in some degree as the rep
| resentatiVe OF the Christian and moral
people of this city, to protest
against the revival of the race-course,
| against the perversion of an institu-
ton which was started for such noble
purposes, to such base ends, against the
whole system of entrapping the unwa-
ry into the haunts of vice, through the
disguise of false name, and against
| the attempt to legalize the sin of gamo-
| lug and 10 make it honorable. But l
um not here TO speak tonight merely
as the representative OF my fellow-Lnen'
believe that it is my duty, for which
1 shall be held responsible at the bar of
/ God as minister, not only TO pTeAch
| Christ and salvation by Him, but also
without descending to personalities or
bitterness of feeling, openly to rebuke
sin whenever and wherever it assumes
such prominence. And now if any one
asks why this evil WAS not attacked be-
fore it occurred reply because we do not
| choose TO advertise it from the pulplt anu
SO attract the curious into the net
| spread for them. If any one asks why
We do not wait until the application
| might be less direct and apparent, L an
swer because prefer to strike while
| tho blow may take effect, Let us shoot
| folly as IL Hies.
4 WHY GAMBLING Is ALWAYS WRONG.
4 Let us look ut some of the evils ol
| gambling. What makes 1t so sinfnl
/ This is AN important question, Tor II
gambling does not involve the ele'
| menIs OF evil then no man has
a right to rebuke you for indnlg'
ling in it or .countena ncing it. IL be
| coTnes an innocent recreation, OF which
Won are at perfect liberty to avail your
self. But on the other hand, II 1t Is
wrong, il should always be avoided. 1t
should be held up TO the public indig-
nation, and they who discharge thls
| duty, ought TO be encouraged. 80
Gambling is in all cases sinful, be
caltse Il involves in its very nature the
| obtaining OF another's property wltn-
out rendering an equivalent for 1t. NO
matter what may be the means EN-
ployed, this is true of it. No matter
| whether the bet Is won upon the ISSUES
of n game of chance or game OF
i skiIl or upon a contest of any kind, II
il gained without any proper retui II to
the loser. There are only TWO leSitl-
mate methods of procuring another
mans property for yourself. one Is
bv gift on his part. He has n right 70
bestow upon you any portion OF HIs
possessions, provided that ne Goes hot w
thereby infringe upon the claims oI
,kara rTha ofhar Tnathul is by the