The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-16
Modern Gambling,

EDITORS INrELL1GENcER: We take
!it for granted that no one doubts gam.
bling being sin, or that it is prohibited
by the Scriptures. To show that gam
bling is prohibited by the word of God,
it is not necessary to find positive pro.
hibitory mention of the practice in the
Bible. It is enough to show that the
principles involved are violated, and We
do not have to look very far before we
find this.
Two men sit down at card-table.
Each man puts given sum of money on
the table, under the agreement that the
one who is successful in the game is to
have all the money at risk. The moaey
is the consideration, and the effort to
obtain it in this way is prompted by a
desire and purpose to get it without
earning i: or giving value in return.
And when the successful man takes the
money at risk he becomes the possessor
of the property of another without earn.
ing it or giving value for it.
Fer these reasons the money is not
justly and honestly his own, and, in
obtaining it, he has violated the plain
Scripture, which commands him to pro.
vide things honest in the sight of all
men-Rom. 1871. Besides this, the
sin of desiring and obtaining money in
this way is of the nature of covetouaness,
which is positively and explicitly pro-
hibited by the scriptures.-Ex. 20: II.
But, however, card.playing is not the
only practice involving the above princi.
pies, and, consequently, not the only
form Of gambling. If it were, ne would
never think of raising our voice or pen
against it, for We are fully apprised of
the fact that those Who have fallen into
the odious habit of. obtaining money by
card.playing are so low in the scale Of
human depravity and degradation as to
be seldom found reading a moral toned
book OF paper. Therefore, ne do not
hope to reach this class in this way, and
so it is not to these that We would
address ourselves in this article, but to
those in the higher circles of social life
who are frequently engaged in some
practice involving the very same priuci.
Pies that are involved in eard.playing.
And, strange as it may seem, there are
thousands of people all over christendom
who would turn away from the card.
table with the greatest contempt and dis.
gust-considering card-playing one Of
the greatest sins person, especially
church member, could possibly be guilty
of-that will, at the very same time,
unacrupulously aud unhesitatingly
engage in various practices involving
identically the same principles, without
ever one time thinking they have been
guilty of gambling or committing the
slightest ohence. Why is this? Simply
because they have failed to read their
Bibles carefully and look at things in
their true light. Let US notice few Of
the most common species of gambling
now in practice.
The first case We will notice is that Of
rafting. a man has gold watch which
he proposes to rattle of. He places a
given number upon the watch, which is
not to exceed one hundred; he then
writes out all the numbers from one to q
hundred, and sells them to his neighbors
at fifty cents apiece, with the under.
standing that the person obtaining the
number corresponding With the one upon
the watch is to have the watch. Here
| the watch is the consideration, and the
effort to obtain it in this way is, of
conrse, prompted by 9asdesire to get it
| without earning itzorspaying full value
for it; and when the ''lucky" man takes
the watch he is in possession of property
which he has neither earned nor paid an
adequate price for. Therefore, be is just
as guilty of the sin of gambling as if he
had won the watch at the card.table, for
he has violated the very same,principles.
But who ever thought of this being
gambling, or even any harm? Why,
Deacon Smith, Elder Jones and quite
a number of other prominent church
| members were around taking "chances"
| for the beautiful gold watch rafled off
| here, last Christmas by one Of our jew.
| elets. Ard arc these chose who know
the truth /? Yea, verify; and occupying,
as they do, the highest positions in
the church and society, their examples
we're, of course, soon followed by scores
of others. Take another case.
! A number of farmers belonging to a
Grange, a Farmers Alliance, or some
other fraternity, while in session place
| in the hands of their Treasurer q hundred
dollars, each member paying his pro rata
share of the amount, under the agree.
ment that the one raising the largest
amount of corn, cotton, wheat, oats, or
any other given crop, upon one acre of
land, is to have all the money at risk.
Here, again, the money is the center of
attraction, the great incentive that causes
each individual farmer to put forth his
whole energy and skill, in order that he
may, if possible, obtain the prize. But
when each farmer gathers his own crop
has he not then got all that is justly aud
honestly his own? Certainly be has.
And when any man takes smore than this,
he is taking the hard earnings of his
| fellowman without earning it, or giving
him anything in return. No one with
ordinary intelligence can fail to see that
| this involves the very same principles