New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-23
LOTTERIES IN CHURCH FAIRS

GxyxN DIR. POTIER d. ARMIrAGE ASD pk.
CHkPNAN-
Tia susstieu ef having lotteries st church fsirs
has sttrsctsd much attention recently becsusa Of
the isszfsxsscs Of tho police at tbs fsr IN md ef
81 vincents Hospital. The subject WINS discussed
in tsIks which TRIBUNE reporter had with prom
inest ciexsymen of this city o dag or two ago. Inc
viswy expressed were varied although In majority
of cases On saverse opinion was expresed tn REGARD
to bsttsgieA Several elergymen sharply ericieizsd
the method Of raising money fer churches, snd
eharacterizedi it as species of gambling pure ana
simple. Two other clergyman ON the contrary, I'D
MOI think that any question Of immortality was In
VOWED in church lotterieA The Society tor the
Preveatieu Of Crime il taking an active part In the
impression oflotteries In churches AZ we'll as IN
secular quarters.
II think that lstterieA" said the Rev. DE-. How
srd Crosby, ere, according to the law of associa-
ton enfirsiy out Of place in connection with reg-
ious work and life. I think that saeriege in the
Christian Church fs not the breaking Of any stat-
ute hw but the breaking Of the law OF sacred asso-
ciation Lotteries in church fairs ora full OF fan
tad jollity apart from the exceptional principle
on (which they are conducted. and II fun and Joi-
lity asv 20 bs associated 10 our minds with religious
matters then our religion will be of very low
order. There will not be much difference between
our religion and our worldly life On that grouad
I
ths two together, apsrt from any wrong principle
involved IN lotteries ut church fsirs Then besides
lottery is ganrbiing, and gambling induces thrift
lessness. poverty and revengeful crimes. In church
fairs the habit has also been to make young
women brazan-faeed and to use all kinds of irregu-
lar arts to make Money"
DR. Crosby said in conclusion, that the Societyfor
ths Prevention Of Crime proposed to stop the hold
Ing of lotteries in all fairs in the city far pos
r. ~,
Quarter and permit its continuance in another.
The Rev. Dr. William M. Tayler, pastor Of the
Brualway Tabernacle, said: II don't like to see
lotteries anywhere and least Of all in church fairs
think they are bad everywhere, and especially In
connection with church. They are species OF
gambling, and the law in regard to them ought to
be impartially enforced. When the law is broken,
whether in church fairs or anywhere else, the
offenders should be punished. and that would very
coon finish the lotteries so far as the churches are
concerned l don't think, however. that the
Churches should wait for the interference of TIE law
before they stop the lotteries. and only hope the
police viii 90 all around. and not make fish of one
and flesh OF another"
The Rev. DR.. Edward McGlynn. OF st. Stephens
intrinsicaly immoral in q lottery. For II one was
free to give away his money. he argued, he was
the chances Of a lottery. The same was to be said
of any kind Of gambling if honestly conducted.
At the same time. DR.. McGlynn thought that the
practice of gambling was very pernclOus to conl-
munity, rs encouraging reliance upon chance
r.ther than upon honest industry and thrift. 1t was
suddenly and greatly enriched by heavy tax even
though self-imposed, upon the many, and those
least t. sss IT. pr fhs Msna aua
utterly to forbid an games OF chance and gambling
AZ business, Whether or not lotteries at church
fairs were included in the existing prohibition was
a question rather for the lawyers, the courts or
the Legislature. He thought that it spoke very
poorly for religion and charity that it should he
necessary it were necessary to resort 10 sueh arta
In order to support churches and charitable nstit
tionA It was certainly very different IRON, and
Apostolic, the earlier and the Middle Ages which
nc The ENs' Rev Dr. Henry G. Potter rector OF Grace
Church. SAID: IT think church lotteries are I'M
wholesome, unwise and unwarranta6ie. They are
press them. The Church, however. ought not TO
wait for legal proceedings e stop that way OF ras
cbnrebes until members learn that what they gain
by them in the proceeds of fair they lose IN the re
people on whose cooperation the churches have
mainly to depend. The grea- objection to such |
modes Of raising money Is the efs Wat hs bas not
maid Ter asa me Loser processes purchase an
Which he meyer Fessyes ago
to be raised by lotteries for colleges and other III
sttutions hut the principle behind it is the gam
bling principle, and that certainly has no place in
raising money for churches. lottery is betting on
an uncertainty and the same principle is involved
p wnsi,er y so your hand bal in grabbag w
my church has not held any fairs for many
years. said the Rev. Dr. Thomas Armitage. of the
comes before me very seldom. leok upon lotteries
in church fairs, however as one OF those things IN
which people find only another way Of giving their
all human action is that the motive gives character
to the act II person at church fair takes shares
With the simple purpose of aiding the fair in its OBJ
feet. don't see but what 1t Is the same as to give
sSs g.msas any ss s's come. van nRsS
understand that you take that from
saathsr to which you have . no claim.
Those who manage fairs should exercise their best
judgment in the matter. Hook on church lotteries
very much - simpls game like checkers, back
ter in themselves except you bring moral charac-
ter to them bg wrong pnrIose you and !, Tor
Of foresight ON our part but at the same time the
sknent Of grsed coinea in. Neither may hs able to
part With the $le0. and it 10 Questionable whether
it but don't see that that element comes in in
regard to Articles put up at TAR for benevolent
3 9Ssf CRASHING S prncp which would take from you
or me- on mere chance Of skill. what we should not
isopardi9e or have taken frsm us You can scarcely
eamsIng may not enter. A man may come to my
church and Bot q e whether will read from the
words vii ooeur most frequently in the passage.
nuh i should not conelntA that ! must
no6 read from the Old Testament or the New,
nmruoess. III you want to avoid the possibility of
doing anything wrong you take an attitude that is
untenable. The whole moral action of life consists
in rractisipg Discrimination. The metive Of q pur-
o,sesr IN church lottery Is to help the particular
nsxtution whose interests to be furtherea, and
not the particular person who wins the prze have
eeen persons win Afghans other things, AMI put
them up several times 10 lie rafied for again, IN
ORDER to help the fair. DON'T think these lotteries
are necessarily evil although you can make evil cut