The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-07-23

PASTOR CRUZAN's sEEaoS At FOHT SHEET CHURCH.
! Tim. 69.-But they that will be rich, fall into
temptation and a snare" etc.
This scripture is not out OF date in our DAY, or
out Of place in this community. God sees and
judges not as man. Though greed of gain may
naTe changed the tools it uses, and the garb it
wears il is still just as hateful, and as sinful in
the sight Of God as in the coarse forms of the
olden time. FASHIONS do not change about the
throne eternal. The refined stock-gambler and
the coarse house breaker are alike sinners in the
sight of God.
Greed Of gain uses various tools and none more
often more efficiently than betting and eamb-
ling. What is gambling The stalking Of
money or Of property upon mere hazard or chance
1t is dishonest and sinful because the first prnci
pie of honesty requires that in all business tran
sactiOns you render the man with whom you deal
an equivalent for his money. In betting and
gambling there is no such equivalent rendered /;
the winner has possession Of money which does
not belong 10 him.
Gambling with cards, or dice, and betting are
becoming insignificant compared with other
forms of Gambling such as gambling in stocks,
oil, grain and al! kinds of produce. This form of
the gambling mania Is becoming alar1ningly pre-
valent.
lifelong resident of these Islands, whose
business gives him opportunity for knowing the
facts, said in my hearing recently, that gambling
IS RAPIDLY on the increase in Hawaii. Gambling
has marvelously increased in America during the
past twenty years, and il would be strange, these
two nations 50 intimately connected, if this bane
full influence of American life had mot reached Us.
This increase of gambling in America is the direct
OutgrOvth and penalty of her civil war. Stock
gambling almost unknown before the civil war in
America, now spans the continent, touching every
hamlet and village we'll as the great cities Has
Hawaii with her rapidly multiplying stock com
panles and her stock exchange already laid the
Foundation for this stock -gambling maniay
Consider a few Of the evils Of gambling: ]. Ii
injuries business. Every working or man in
legitimate business, benefits society and adds to
the wealth Of the State. The gambler violates
this principle; be produces nothing, and also de
ludes scores with the falsehood that the greatest
gains can be won without labor that fortunes turn
uPon the position of card, the falling OF dice,
the lucky numbers in lottery, or shrewdness in
manipulating stocks. >. Gambling and hazardous
speculatiOns destroy mans business habits. 3.
II leads to dishonesty and fraud. Nothing else so
quickly takes the moral fibre out Of q man. 4. Il
destroys domestic peace and happiness, ,. il
leads 10 robbery and theft. 6. II leads TO intern
perance, murder and suicide.
Let me press few lessons; /. Watch closely
the desire for gain. Is IT becoming your master?
Is il making you hard and graspng. rendering
the Golden Rule obsolete. and making you bend,
IL not break the rules Of honestly .. When a man
resorts 10 other than Legitimate business TO gain
money he is in fact either gambler a thief.
3. When society knowingly tolerates gambling,
lotteries, or Legitimate forms Of business it
dones either gambling stealing. the case may
be, and is partaker IN the crime ;. Christian
Churches ought TO take n bold stand in this mat
ter and in order that they may do this they should
make grand bonfire Of their grab boxes ish
ponds "rafies,,' Chances" .sinC-cakes" etc.
For a church to resort TO illegitimaie means TO
raise money is monsterous crime. 4. Finally
the slightest acquaintance with gambling shows
that il is a temptation which can only be success
fully resisted in its beginnings.