The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-06
IarirnHnaL
+. H. HosKINs. Newport. VT. Editor.
Gambling,

Inc hurH NeU f0rher says II Ialr
managers, whether church or agricultural,
will not conduct them purely, not only alb
sent yourself, but use your influence In
preventing the attendance of your friends,
and especially of your children; very
little influence of this sort will purify
them" We fear not; if we are not badly
mistaken it will take great deal of stay
ing away, and great persistence therein,
to work change. There has long been
more than few conscientious people who
have "stsyed away" but the great indif-
ferent crowd of people-people who do not
get into Jail, but whose moral tone is lax,
will go and while these 60 the evil will
90 on and increase. There are too many
rich church members, or at least church
contributors, who see no harm in ga little
amusement" of this sort.
The Rev. Washington GLADDEN., in the
August Century, treating upon this ques-
ton, says 1t is amazing to witness the
dullness of the public conscience upon
this matter. The evil has called forth
but faint reprobation. A practice so
widespread, and against which the respect
able classes raise so little objection, may
we'll have seemed to young men innocent
and legitimate. One who had been grad
usted recently from one of our best col
leges told me the other day that the only
ground on which his teacher in ethics
taught him to condemn gambling was
that it substituted an appeal to chance for
the exercise of reason and judgment. One
might as we'll make the wrong of stealing
to consist in the habit of Incidence which
it encourages in the thief. Socially and
economically, the gamblers of a commu-
nifty sustain to its industrial system pre-
cisely the same relation as do the thieves.
1t is hard word to say, but it is the ex-
act scientific truth, and it is high time
that somebody said it,"
Mr.. GLADDEN. goes on to say zone
would like TO know how often and how
distinctly this truth is enforced in the
leading pulpits of New York, Chicago
and Boston. We hear occasionally of
clergymen who bet on margins; nobody
believes that this is common practice
among ministers; nevertheless it may be
doubted whether this class of our public
teachers have borne witness, as they ought
to have done, against the iniquity." There
is good reason why not. A very large
proportion OF the incomes of leading
churches comes from men who gamble.
Were not the gamblers who ruined all the
st. Adams banks, recently, men promi-
nent in the churches ? Is it not so all
over the country? Everybody who knows
anything about the matter knows that it
is, and our own hand has been arrested,
in writing upon these and allied wicked
nesses by the influence of wealthy sup
porter of the race-course, and the church,
upon an editorial superior (uot in this
psper), who insisted that the thing must
stop"
The Ruraps article upon this subject is
an able one, and shows insight. 1t most
truly says: "The law is no remedy I'M
less rigidly enforced, and no law can be
made successful unless it is sustained by
the people in their hearts, and is the rule
of their private lives. Great crimes be-
come possible only by the corruption of
individual hearts, and while we see to it,
therefore, that the laws are enforced, let
us be no less careful that everything of
gambling nature be rigidly excluded from
our homes. n The trouble is
not in the heinous offenses; they soon at
tract attention and are suppressed; but
the people look with federation, if not with
approval, on the petty schemes, not real
izing that as the children are taught in
these schools of vice, they will continue
the practice in the more prominent forms.
1t is too bad that such methods are EN-.
ployed in the interests and name of Chris.
tianity. Well-meauing people of the
churches, do not forget that, if in your zeal
to secure means for the Masters work,
you employ the devils machinery and
methods, even if in Gods house, you will
corrupt and demoralize the susceptible
young minds, and by so doing are serving
the devil rather than God" Amen. And
we would say to the respectable farmers
who read these columns hat in patroniz-
ing in any way the socalled agricultural
fairs which allow horse-gambling, even
though it be on a separate day, they are
setting an example as peruicious as that
of the man who patronizes the bar-room
or the house of prostitution.
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