The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-03-12
is RARFzING RIGHT Oh WRONG,
LETTER FROM An Ep1scopAL1AN 1zN1srER.
BISHOP ELDERS ANSWER.

I
. From late numbers of the Natchez, Miss.
Democrat and Conrier we take the two following
communications. The first is from Rev. Alex
Marks, distinguished Episcopalian ministe
of Natchez, the son, We believe, of Mr.. !. N
Marks. President of the Fire Department. o
this city:
IS RAFFLING RIGHT OR wRoNGf
| Mr. Editor-We claim, and with some reason
| to be one of the most moral and law-sbidiDg
! communities in the State, but there is one
| practice lsmentably common among us, which
| does not rebound to our credit, either in q
moral or legal point of view. refer to the
use of lotteries and files to raise money fol
! religious and charitable purposes. As they are
80 common, think may safely call the atten
tion of our people to the wrong of the thing
without running the risk of appearing invidl-
ons as to individuals or sects. As pretty much
all have adopted the plan, perhaps all will
kindly consider some suggestions as to its i'm
propriety.
don't suppose people generally appreciate
| thing or for any sum of money is contrary
both to good morals and to the law of the land.
As to the moral view of the case, will
merely quote an extract from a recent publ
cation ou the suhjecr, which states the question
as clearly is possible. The passage Is a dia-
logue berween a man in doubt and his adviser {:
- Is riSht or WrODgF
" "Urq Iestionably wrong"
"Do you mean morally wrong or wrong be-
cause it is against the lawf"
Both. IL is wrong by itself and in itself,
and wrong besides, because the law of the
land prohibits it,"
VERY good; but now / want you to tell me
why it is wrong and how it is wrongi'
The moral part is very simple. 1t rests on
two plain fac's, which one can dispute
Fact number one, that there is in our nature,
no matter how it got there, an inner ent. uni
versal disposition TO make chance a means of
gain. Fact number two, that this natural
passion serves no good end, aud, on the con-
trary, has always and everywhere, the world
over, proved a fruitful and perpetual source of
ldleuess misery and crime, so much SO that the
most advanced communities absolutely pro-
hibit it's exercise, either q large scale in
government lotteries, or on small scale in
church fair raAes In other words, society
says to every man, woman and child that to
pay money or give any valuable thing for the
chance of gaining larger sum or something
OF greater value, is SO pernicious o thing in
itself and in its effects that it shall not be toll
Grated. This is the testimony of society to the
moral evil"
Bot suppose the money contributed to the
raMs goes TO q good object. as to the church or
the orphan asylum, the chance of winning the
prize being merely the instrument or vehicle
of an act of benevolence, does that make no
differencef
mo, not in the least. so long as the chance
is the inducement held ont to attract the con-
the evil principle which is the root of gam
bling and it's legion train of vices, To be sure,
with many persons it may be q matter of indif-
ference whether they win or lose and charity
may be the ruling motive. But in reasoning q
about the matter, we must take human nature
as it is, and mon and women (and children) as
they are, and the chance of winning appeals
to a universal passion"
do you mean to say, then, that all games
OF chance are wrong"
"By no means. Chance is proper element
OF calculation and determination, and using i
for amusement is no more wrong than using i
| in drawing jury, classifying directors or dis
| tributing seats in the House of Representa-
| tives but to stake money on a chance, whethe
| q cent or q fortune, whether for greed or bene
| violence, is wrong, because it is the exercise o
q natural passion whose tendency is who'll,
evil, and which therefore must be evil in it
self"
So much. Mr.. Editor, for the moral question
| Will you allow me space now to call attention
to tie law of the State on this pointf
The organic law Constitution, article xii
| section 15) provides: 1.-THE Legislature shall
never authorize any lottery, nor shall the cal
of lottery tickets be allowed, nor shall an.
lottery heretofore authorized be permitted t.
be drawn, or tickets to be sold"
| And the statute, to carry this provision O
the constitution into effect, fixes the penalt
for it's violation to be fine of not less tn 81
SOU and not more than $50O0 and an imprison
ment of not less than six months and not NOR
than five years, the fine to be divided between
(What a chance for the InstituteD
But section 26C5 of the Revised Statutes
| Code of 1871, is even more explicit: " If an.
person, IN order to raise money for himself o
another, shall privately publicly put up
lottery to be drawn or adventured for, or an,
prize or thing to be raf1sd or played for, or i
any person shall sell, or expose for sale, an.
lottery ticket, such person shall be adiudget
guilty of gaming. and conviction thereof
$200O."
l am not sanguine that even this showini
will do away with this immoral and crimina :
practice in our community; but it will, 1 think
enighten few good people who have erre
through Ignorance or thoughtlessness; it ma
prevent some Christisns from doing this thin
in the name and cause of charity and it ma
PossibIy save youth or two from being edu
Gated as gamblers by well-meaning but sadl
mistaken teachers. ALEx. MARTs-
February 18th, 1876.
BISHOP ELDERS REPLY.