The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-06-23
Beware of tiamblingl

EDITOR OF COLUMBIAN You will
much oblige many of your patrons and
friends, and promote the cause of NOR.
ality by inserting in your paper the fol.
lowing letter in relation to "Churcb
fairs"-a species of gambling that has
become lamentably prevalent. The
names of persons, places and parties are
omitted, in order that your readers may
give the subject an impartial and un-
prejudiced examination.
Yours respectfully,
THE LETTER.
Dear Sir: Tho ough / have not the
pleasure of personal acquaintance
with you, 1 am lmpelled by ense of
duty to address you this letter.
have learned, upon what | deem to
be good authority, that certain persons
moved, doubtless, by what they regard
as worthy motives, contemplate holding
on Friday and Saturday evenings of
this week, q "Fair," to raise money in
aid of the erection of house of wor.
ship for the - Church in --. 1
beg to assure you that / am not in tho
least opposed to the end sought to be ac.
complished. The mem bers and friends
OF the - Church-or any other
church-thanks to the free, civil institu.
tions under which we live-have per.
feet right to build rs many houses of
worship as they may deem necessary,
and any other who may desire to con.
tribute money or material to aid them,
are at perfect liberty to do so and no
word or act of mine will dissuade them.
provided tho donation is made directly
and specifically for the purpose named.
But "Church "Fairs," as usually con-
ductcd are OF the nature of gdmbling-
and are among the most pernicious and
demoraizing influences at work in
modern religious society, and it becomes
every person who desires to promote
sound and pure morality in the COM
munity to speak out in unmistakable
language against them.
What are the "Grab Bag,n the "For.
tune Tree" and the "Prize Cake,n but
lotteries, form of gambling specifically
condemned by the laws of the State
and its promoters subjected to both fine
and imprisonment. Nothing but the
fact that most of our judges and Jurors
are either members or the friends of re.
ligious organizations which sanction
this form gambling, prevents the en-
forcement of the law against it.
Tho ga la of ticlyai, ,,t;lI:.,,.
to vote for the bestowment, upon their
favorites, of canes, albums, and other
valuable articles, the "Sham Post Office"
and the many other projects for getting
money from persons, for religious pur-
poses, by indirect means constantly
resortcd to at these "Fairs," though
not in form so identical with gambling
as The "Grab Bag" the "Fortune Tree"
and the cake with gold ring in it, are
not less so in spirit. They are all tricks,
and stratagems-disingeneous, indirect
and circutous modes of raising money
-artifices by which to induce persons to
part with their money who would not
do so voluntarily and without these dis
reputable appliances.
All the surroundings of "Church
Fair" are demoralizing in the extreme
and tend to the encouragement of other
forms of vice. With what face can any
one who has sanctioned such scenes as
are enacted at them, rebuke the playing
of cards, farce, and other games of haz-
zard? If you and differ in our relig-
ious views and teachings, there is GER
tainly no reason why we should not be
agreed in wish topromote pure moral
sentiment in the community.
In 1917, Martin Luther nailed to the
door of the church in Witemberg, his
thesis against indulgences. lie was
prompted to this step quite as much by
the dcmoralizing tendency of the sale
of indulgences, as by any theological
horesy underlying the trafic. But where
in are "Church Fairs" less pcrnicious
morally than papal indulgences! If the
latter were received as licenses to sin,
the former are sin itself. How many
hundreds Of young men have received
their first impulse towards Il life of dis.
sipation by the hil0rity, excitement and
hazardous tricks and games of the
Church Fair" 1t has become one of
the gigantic evils of our age-a shame
and disgrace to religion, and fearful
source of immortality and vice. 1t is
infinitely more pernicious than the or
dinary forms of gambling; because it
allures the unwary and the well.mean-
ing because it has the sanction of min
isterS and churches, and because the end
sought to be attained is supposed to be
a good one. Though it is evil, ii is doing
erI thdt good may come. This thought
quiets the conscience. Besides being
in some of its features formal viola.
tion of the law of the land, and in 9TH
ers, Il violation Of its spirit, ii is an ap-
peal to every unholy passion in the hui
man heart. Pride, vanity, selflove,
approbativcness, and still lower pas
sions, arc called into requisition, and
even the holiest affections and friend
ships are perverted into pernicious
channels, in order to swell the Golfers of
the church, regardless of its blighting
and whitening effect.
In brief, it is disreputable method
of IA ising money for religious purposes
or for any other purposes. Any man
who seeks to raise money for his own
private uses by such tricks, schemes,
and stratagems as are resorted to in
these Fairs" will bring himself into a
deserved disrepute amongst all high
minded and honorable men, and when
churches-which ought to be ensamples
of morality at least-resort to the same
kind of practices, why should not the
public roprobation be equally severe ?
Let those who desire to aid you in
building your house, do so in straight.
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