The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-06-22
SERMON ON HORSES,
Continued from 1st Page.

man or his children, and generally
both. There is now in this region a
great hOrse-betting craze. There IS
great danger that our beautiful COney
Island Beach be changed from the most
beautiful wateTing-place on the COnti-
nent and Gods benedictiOn to Brooklyn
and New York into panlemOn1um Of
gamblers and scOundrels. There are
ten thousand young men who have al
ready taken long stride on the down
grade through the Brighton Beach and
Sheepshead Bay race courses. There are
many stores in these cities where mon
eys have been subtracted from the en-
plOyers by boys, in order to buy pool
tickets. Last summer there were on
Barclay street, New York, three pool
shops open where lads could get tickets
on the race courses for twenty and
twenty-five cents, and the crowds Of
boys around them were so great that the
police stood there to clear the way for
those who wanted to purchase. Hear it.,
all ye good citizens, the police defend
ing the pools for betting. l am told
that there is now such pool open on
Willoughby street, Brooklyn. Hunters
Point is headquarters for much of this
infamy. But what a spectacle, when at
Saratoga and Long Branch and Sleeps
head Bay and Brighton Beach the horses
start, and in a fash $4,000 or 100000
changes hands, and many are ruined by
their losses and others worse ruined by
success.
It is misfortune to lose, but it is a
calamity to gain. He who loses may be
discouraged and quit, but he who gains
is apt to go right on to hell. There are
three modes of betting, and it is hard
to tell which is the worst, by auction
pool" by French mutuals," by "bOOk-
making" There ought to be one word
written on the brow of every pOOl-seller,
as he sits deducting his or 3 per cent,
and slylyrunning up tickets on his own
account on the winning horses, and on
the brow of every bOOk-maker, as the
owner of the horses by extra induce
ment has his horses scratched from the
race, and on the brow of every jockey,
who slackens the speed, according to
agreement, that another may win, and
upon the judges stand, and every board
of the surrounding fence, the unmis-
taxable word, "Swindler." And yet
thousands buy; merchants buy, church
members buy, professors of colleges
buy, ladies buy, and this summer, while
| paTasOls wave, and hands clap, and hur-
rahs deafen, ten thousand mistaken and
cajOled and frenzied people at the races
will be found going meek and neck" to
peTulIlOu.
Cultivate the horse by all means, and
drive as fast as you desire without in
jury to him or danger to others. l can
not understand why God made fast
horses unless it was to have them go
| fast. But do not harness them to the
chariot of sin; do not put under their
hoOfs the jewel of morality; do not, un.
der the pretense of improving the horse
| destroy the man. Do not allow yOuI
name to go on the eyer-lengthening
roll of those who are ruined for bOtt
worlds by the gambling habits Of the
| American race course. They talk about
straight and crooked tracks. Every
track that is controlled by betting sur
rOundings is straight-down. Christ
inquired, SIS not a man better than 6
sheep?" Yes, and he is better than al
the Dexters, Glenmores, and Luke
Blackburns, and Hindoos, and old Pa
roles that ever shot with lathered flanks
around the ring at the races. 1t is &
bad job if, in the effort to get racer t
come out one length ahead of another
on the track, the man is so lame in NOR
ais that he himself comes out a whole
length behind in the trace set before
him" The fact is the mighty struggl,
all around seems now to be to Ve
money without earning it. eI
forms of stealing are not resp lie