Daily Republican., 1881-01-27
LOTTERIES In CHURCH. HAIKs
Views Of Prominent CieTky men
Different kinds Of 0plniOns.

Views Of Prominent CIeFGy men
Different Kinds Of Opintons.
The question Of having lotteries al
church fairs has attracted much atten'
tiOn recently because Of the interfer
ence Of the police at the fair in aid Of
81. Vincent's Hospital, New York. The
subj cot was discussed in talks which q
Tribune reporter had with prominen,
Clsrgymsn Of New York, day or txc
ago. The views expressed were varied
although in . msjority Of cases an ad
verse opinion was expressed in regard
TO lotteries. Several clergymsn sharp.
ly criticized this method OF raising
money for churches, and characterized
II as q species OF gambling pure and
simple. Two other clergymen, on the
contrary, did not think that any ques-
tion Of immortality was involved in
church lotteries. The Society for the
Prevention Of Crime Is taking an active
part in the suppression OF lotteries in
churches, a. we'll as in secular quar-.
teFs.
III think that lotteriss," said the
Rev. DR.. Howard Crosby, "Are, accord.
ing to the law Of association, entirely
out Of place in connection with reli-
gious work and life. think that sac
rilege In the Christian church 10 not
the breaking of any statute law, but
the breaking Of the law Of sacred asso.
citation. Lotteries in church fairs are
full Of fun and jollity spart from the
exceptional principle on which they
are conducted, and II fun and jollity
are to be associated In cur minds with
religious matters, then our religion will
be Of very low order. There will not
be much difference between our reli
giou and our worldly life. On that
ground l think that Christian people
should never bring the two together,
apart from any wrong principle involv
I'd In lotteries at church fairs. Then,
besides, . lottery Is gambling, and
induces thrinleisness, pow
erty and revengeful crimes. In church
fairs the habit has also been TO make
yoaug women brazsn faced and 70 use
all kinds Of irregular arts to make
DR.. Crosb, said, in conclusion, that
the Society for the prevention Of Crime
70 stop the holding Of lotteries
in all fairs in the city so far as posi-
BILE, as II would be unfair to stop
z gambling In one quarter aud permit its
in another.
The Rev. Dr.. william M. Taylor,
paptor of the Broadway tabernacle,
said: ~ don't like to see lotteries
aud least Of all Ia church
fairs. think they are bad every
where, and especially In connection
with church. They are a species Of
gam bling, aud the law in regard To-
Ihsm ought to be impartially enforced.
When the law Is broken, whether in
,hurch fairs or anywhere else, the
offenders should be punished, and
that would very soon finish the 10 tier
lea SO far as the churches are concern
ID. l don't think, however, that the
,hurches should wait for the intsrfsr-
,pes Of the law before they stop the lot
;eries, and only hope the police will
20 all around and not make hsh Of one
md lesh Of another. -"
The Rev. DR.. Edward McGlynn, Of
3t. Stephens Roman Catholic Church,
.hought there was nothing intrinsical.
y Immoral in . lottery. For If one
vas Tree to give away his money, he
lrgusd, he was surely free 10 make the
osing Of 1t contingent upon tho chances
II q lottery. The same was TO be said
If any kind Of gambling II honestly
'ond acted. At the same time DR.. Nc
lynn thought that the practice Of gam
bling was very pernicious to q Commu-
,ity, as encouraging a reliance upon
nance rather than upon honest indus
~ and thrift. 1t was q serious dis.
rider that few luoky ones should be
uddenly and greatly enriched by q
leavy tax, even though selt-imposed,
Ipon the many, and those perhaps
east able TO bear it. DR.. McGlynn
aid that, in his opinion, the State had
he right, and it was good thing for
hs State, to regulate aud even utterly |
0 forbid all games Of chance and gam
ling as q business. Whether or not
Dtteries at church fairs were included
q the existing prohibition was Ques,
ion rather for the lawyers, the courts
r the Legislature. He thought that il
poke very poorly for religion and char
~ that 1t should be necessary, II 1t
rers necessary. to resort to such arts
q order to support churches and char
able institutions, 1t was certainly
cry different from, and hardly an i'm
rovement upon, the way Of the Apes.
bic, the earlier and the Middle Ages,
thich he characterized as the better
ges Of the Church.
The Rev. DR.. Henry C. Potter, rec
IT Of Grace Church, said: II think
huroh lotteries are unwholesome, IN
ise and anwarrantable. They are H.
gal, and It Is competent under the
w to suppress them. The Church,
owever, ought not to wait for legal
roceedings to stop that way OF raising
loney. Lotteries will not be stopped
2 churches until members learn that
hat they gain by them in the proceeds
fair thsy lose in the respect aud
'nfidenoe OF the more thoughtful class
PEOPLE on whose cooperation the
,urches have mainly to depend. TIE
eat objection to such modes of raising
Ooey is the essential dishonesty is
'at the gamer in lottery gets what
3 has not paid for, and the lsfer pro
sses to purchase an equivalent which
D never receives. A century ago the q
ttsry idea had such a footing that
Oney used to be raised by lotteries for