Nevada County picayune., 1889-03-27
BETTING AND GAMBLING,

Betting, and gambling of every kind, IS in itself wrong and immoral
 l do not say that every man who bet. Is an immoral man. Far from it
 many really honest men bet; but that Is because they have not consid. cred what they are doing. Betting IS wrong: because it is wrong to take yonr neighbours money without giv- ing him anything in return. Earn from him what you will, and as much as you can. All labor. even the low est drndgery, is honorable; but bet ting is not laboring nor earning: it is getting money without earning it, and more. it is getting money. or trying to get il, out of your neigh bor's ignorance.
 If you and he bet on any event, ! .ton think that your horse will win |: he thinks that his will; in plain En- glish you think you know more about the matter than he; you will try to take advantage of his ignorance, and so to coniure money out of his pocket friendly attitude in which to stand to yoir nelghhor, truly, That is the plain English of it; aud look at u upwards, downwards, sideways. inside out, you will never make any thing out of betting save this-that it is taking advantage of your neigh hor's supposed ignorance.
 ''But,' says someone. .:That is all fair. he is trying to do as much by me-" insi so; and that again is a very friendly and noble attitude for two men who have no spite against each other; a state of mutual dis trust and unmercifulness. leaking each sclilshlv tq his ohn gain, re- gstdless of the interest of the other. l say regardless. You know what ever you lose he will eNpaut you to pay, however much It may inconyen- fence you. Thus betting Is founded on selishness. and the consequence Is that men who live by betting are. and cannot help being, the most self ish of men, and q should think among the most unhaDpy and pitia- ble; taF If man who is given to sellishness. distrust and cunning, who is tempted every hour to treach- cry and talsehood, without the possi- bility of one noble or purifying feel ing throughout his whole days work, without the consciousness that he has done the slightest good to a human being-not even as much good as an old w9man at g stall has by selling pennyworth of apples-if that man is not a pitiahle object, I do not know what is:
 isut sano will say, Ut is not the money ] care for, hut the amuse- meui." ENciSe mc. hat if so, why do you bvt for mnneyI That ques- ton l have asked again and again, but have never got an answer. Why do you bet for money, and not coun- CTS, or pins, or pebbles: Why, but because you want the money, to buy with 1t moneys worth ?- Rev, Charles Kingsley,
 Once more, gambling is sufficiently manifest as an evil thing by it's terri ble consequences. In fact, you may know the corrupt tree by its evil fruit. Gambling leads to cheating at cards, to trickery OF the raoe course. t9 qpaFFelng, to violent pas sions. to suicide, and to such cold blooded sellishness that the habtual gambler (like the confirmed drunk- ard) will sacrifice everything and everybody in his power to his pleas. uFe. It tempts the shop boy to rob the till, and the cashier to falsify his accounts, and the working man to starve his family. It has brought down the first families of the land. Gambling is not condemned by Christian morality alone. The law prohibits it, so far as it can do so without infringing personal liherty ! Gambling is destructive of social good. It paralyzes honorable indus try, It tcmpts to dishonesty. It Is a social curse. - Rev. Canon rebult, -