Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-02-17
Sporting. %
GALLTA.

tracted, there Is not one which, IN It's
moral tendencies, is more debasing
than gambling. Selfishness, schem-
ing, lying, cheating, cruelty and rob
berry, are q few amongst the numer-
Gus offspring of this prolific source
of evil. In its higher walks, horse
racing, perhaps, takes a foremost
place, but who amongst those con
versant with the ways of the turf,
and not themselves actually concern
ed with it, can honestly defend a
practice, which levels every gentle
man to the status of his own Jockey,
smelling rankly of the stable, and
familiar with all the low slang,
triclery and habits of the most igno-
rant groom. Yet the institatiOn has
its advocates, and reckons amongst
its patrons some Of the first men of
the aristocracy of Europe, and of
our own country. The ostensible
plea is 10 improve The breed Of
horses, but, will any thinking man
pretend to say that similar results
will not he produced by the require
ments of husbandry, or the necessi-
ties of travel, at least so far as utility
is concerned, and by much less OBJ
iectionable means.
CARDS AND DICE rank next to horse
racing, being indulged in by persons
of good social position, in common
with the vilest legs and lowest and
most uncompromising cheats and
swindlers in existence, but unlike
horse-racing, it has not even the
shadow of a shade" of an excuse
it is mere waste of time, has moth
ing elevating OF intellectual to re-
commend it, and requiring nothing
more for its full development than
the exertion of the lowest knavery
and cunning.
OfDoG FIGHTING, we shall say little,
as that is so palpably cruel and de,
moralizing as to be revolving to every
sense Of humanity, and is seldom in
dulged in except by persons degrad
ed to the level of the unfortunate
brutes over which they stand, and
see mangle and MAIN each other in q
manner shocking to behold. !
TIE RING is, if anything csa be so,
still lower than dog fighting, but as
1t is every day receiving attention
from the proper quarter, we shall not
trouble our readers with any COM
ment upon it; but offer a few remarks
on vice which is much more wide
ly spread than many will suppose,
and that too amongst class of men
whose position renders them the
least able to endure the consequen-
ces of its debasing infiuence-we
mean Cock FIGHTING. Almost any
one can procure a game chicken, he
can beg, borrow, steal or buy an egg
or two, or young chicken, and thus
form the nucleus of a flock. Once
possessed of q game cock, the pro
pensities to try his mettle commences,
the inducement to back him by mon
ey follows, and the appetite for
gambling increases; the unhappy
fowl, fed with all care, handled fre-
quently, trained and tried, is finally |
trimmed and heeled, and brought into |
the pit to engage in deadly combat
with his adversary, where, often, af |
ter few strokes, but much more fire.
quently after severe and bloody |
conflict, one, or sometimes both, are
either killed or hopelessly crippled;
meanwhile the men (?) who own or
fight them, look exitedly on, backing,
shouting or blaspheming until one or
the other Of the courageous little
creatures is stricken down by the
deadly gaff, Or if less plucky than
his adversary, turns to run, and follow
the instinct of self preservation by
fight, in which case, he is usually
decapitated by his owner as unwor-
thy of place amongst the braves of
a flock.
1t is almost incredible the quantity
of money which changes hands, even
in this small city and its enyirons, on
this useless, idle and cruel practice.
Men whose wife and families are to-
tally dependent on the wages they
earn for support. squander ten, TWEEN
ty and thirty dollars upon a single
match-thus wasting in an hour of
selfish, beastly qualification, the earn
ings of weeks, and either running
into debt for the common necessa-
ries of life, or depriving those who
have a right to it of the comforts of
a decent home.
s@ A general argument in favor of
railroads has been given by the Geauga
Democrat. lis that they decrease the
burden of taxatian Railway nroner.