The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-11-17
Il PULPIT VIEW
~
IF GAMBLERS AND GAMBLING.
ATImely Sermon by lsev. Or. Cunningham
Mt tho First Presbyterian Church Last
sigtt-rhc Evii Of Big aud Lls,le
Games Of Cinnce-Illus,nations.

Games OF Ci,nnce-llius.na,ions.
Rev. DR.. Cunningham, pastor OF the
Fist Presbyterian Church, preached u
very practical and timely sermon last
evening from Ills pulpit, his theme being
"Ganblcrs and Gambling lIe took'his
text from Proverbs, xiii, I: There Is
that make.h himself rich, YET ltath moth.
ing
III gotten gains, said DR.. Cunningham,
| whether large or smatf, cat never perhia.
nently enrich the possessor. "Wealth
gotten by vanity shall be diminished, but
he that sathcrtltl by labor shall increase"
There is n lawful and MI unlawful why Of
earning II living; a scriptural and M I'M.
scripiuial method OF doing business and
accommodating wealth. Under the text
may be Classed al those who seek to obtain
money In unlawful ways, such us by bet.
ting or fraud, games Of chance-in other
words, gambling.
DIFFERENT VIEWS OF GAMING. ,
Men take different views Of gambling.
One man sees lawful amusement in Il;
another justiliable excitement; d third
justiliahle means Of gain. hut We see In
1t imminent danger and positive trans.
erosion OF Gods law. The gamblers
path lies by a high precipice, and he is
threatened with death at every step. We
find tho victims OF gambling III the courts
OF bankruptcy, in the cellars and garrcts
Of poverty, in tho dark dcns Of crime and
infamy, in the cells OF prisons and ut the
= eallows itself. We see Ia il nothing hu.
sin, danger and ruin.
/, Gamblin: is playing any game OF hazard
for property, or the risking Of property,
-. as in the ease Of betting, upon u die or
! chance. Two conditions are essential to
gambtins-hazar and the absence OF all
equivalent for what may be gained. The
| characteristics Of commerce and labor for
wages, while sometimes including hazard,
9 and sometimes rendering more than an
! equivalent, diilcr from those Of gaming,
t for these are based OH gain for gain.
SPECULATION.
4. The principles OF gaming arc sometimes
acted upon where there is neither betting
: nor play. Men may gamble with capital
. instead OF cards; with other peoples
: money in reckless speculation instead Of
: with their own cash and with dice in tho
? board room OF Il joint stock company in.
stead OF IN 4 gambling house. Tie prin.
ciples and spirit of gambling are by NO
means contiHcd to betting or to games OF
: hazard, and wherever the principles and
J spirit exist, there OF course will be found
both the mischief and the sin Of gaming.
t How often has an insolven; tradesman or
merchant staked the property OF Others
. upon some desperate speculation full OF
e risk, by which, ii he did not recover him
t self. he would sink into the depths OF ruin,
and spread poverty aud misery all around
him.
Considering the evils OF gain without
t rendering an equivalent, DR.. Cunningham
said that it was in opposition to Gods or.
| linance, an the sweat OF Thy brow thou
, shalt cat bread" Again. the excitement
= Of gambling, instead Of being rccreative,
is destructive. Its intensity consumes.
, For the risks and losses OF the gambler
8 there is neither compensation nor conso.
lation. Those WHO win in the long run
=, are very few. But whether few or many,
, there must be losers.
SOME ILLUSTRATIONS.
Illustrating this, DR.. Cunningham told
: Of 4 young nan who started out in life
with bright prospects, happily married
and having patrimony OF slj0.00Q. lie
lost his all betting on horses, and was
finally imprisoned for debt.
Another young man upon attaining his
majority entered Into o fortune OF $780,
, 900. Iii less than three years he liud
sqiandered all, and become dependent
upon q widowed mother. The familiar
story OF John Steele, "Coal Oil Johnnie"
was referred to.
The remorse which follows the ruin Of 4
man at tho gaming table, often driving the
victim 10 take lis Cwn life, was also strong
" depicted.
The spirit invoked by gaming and the
character it forms were pronounced essen
tally evil. 4 man becomes reckless, first
OF those things which ouuh. to be dearest
to himself and objects Of his .cndercst
! solicitude, aud mex OF those things Of i'm.
portancc to others. Thus other sins are
begotten by the vice Of gambling. Don't
care" is the gamblers spirit. and don't
care w were told in our childhood, came
to the gallows. T,
EVIL ASSOCIATIONS.
The associations and circumstances
among which gaming leads one are full OF
danger. The public gambling room is n
stepping stone 10 worse Wees.
And the distance from the private card
party to the gambling room Is very short,
said DR.. Cunningham. Tho sad story OF
two boys, known by the Doctor, who we're
taught to play cards by their mother, who
did this 10 keep them ct home, and who
grew up 70 DO professional gamblers, one
of them to be hanged. WAC giycnas an illus.
tration OF the evils Of private card playiaa.
The powerful fascination about all sames
Of CHANGE should warn parents to beware
OF falniiiari1!ng youth with thecommonest
tools Of the gambler. T'hs safest point to
draw the line between harmless alnpsa.
ments and harmful ones, is where chance
becomes a large element in the game,
PROF. GRASGEl-S FEArS,
Sorus Of TIE Wondsrs Of Mcsinerlsm Pro.