The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-14
SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER "A, 1880.
GFNTEEL VICES.

II Is greatly 10 the honor oil our "s' s"
while orr civilization rests upon the zen
Commandments, our common Ia" VI w
cency and propriety, In other worus, ou'
gentiiity. is becoming more ana more 'uo"-
,ised with what are accepted as the dutles
and ,races of Christianity. The ideal gem
.,eman gets all his principles from the Ne"
Testament; and the contamination Oh sooo
manners Is found in the chapter on chai'!
Public opinion in the civilized "oilu j.
very largely, wcightily, iniluentiaiiy 'n'is
,ian. And il is very marvellous to see no"
This nublic opinion. through its varied III
strumentalities and ways, eXerts lts power
Now IL Restraints a monarch, nauo'' "O'i
wrong-doing, and anon 1t harmoniHes an"
soc,ens the intercourse between c0nNicts'
There is nothing hid from the heat thereo'-
In n greater or less degree.
In different countries, states, cities' anu
localities the power is differently felt bu'
the general effect is the same. "ha'e'ei j.
against Scripture law is most apt 10 De
against the sense Of propriety Of genteei peo-
nle. he they poor or rich. And that same
ouiet law brands the Whatever nis
wealth or ofice-as yulgarian. ms Is
very old and familiar fact in the human
nature Of our city and state.
And vet there are vices that have held
,heir oyyn among us-lcss Migrant now thah
they have been in the past-and yet 10"
continuing to our discredit and demoral'|a-
tion-more than winked at by people oi
good standing. We, of course do mol reler
10 the grossness that comes from coarse ma
,ures-the mire and filth Of society. These
belong to and hcspeak the lowest. But we
refer TO those many little assertions Of Tree
dom that many claim to indicate large
free. and liberal,spirit-the spirit OF the '"-
alier. and not the Puritan. The range OF
this liberality is very large. 1t claims 10
own no restraints-nO leading strings Oul
holds charter as illimitable as the wind
So il finds itself sometimes without the
bounds of common decency, and Ike the
winds. scattering irebands. arrows, ana
death.
The insincerities. misrepresentation anu
frauds Of society, sO-called' work great evil
From the simple "lib," Miss Nancy say
she ant AT home" TO the deliberate, bounc-
ing. fragrant falsehood, all are bad. Grind
ing the faces OF the poor by mean nara
dealing with the helpless, and then Drag
ging of it. Driving hard bargains Win
market people and taking their very best Tor
the very least. Then genteel thievings are mol
uncommon. The grand vice Of gambling
however. is the genteel vice that most openly
dehes the law Of proprlety, and insldlousiy
demoraliZes. And in one shape or an
other il pervades and iniests society
throughout the civilized world gambling i
pronounced a great evil. be it in the way OF
faro. lottery, or mere games of chance or
the play of "the bigger fool" That Is the
verdict of our civilization. The principle
that L violates is the Tenth Command
ment: Thou shalt not covet thy ncighbors
goods. And the same is a maxim of law
No man ought to be prohted in harming an
other. If We bite and deyOur one another
how is it thai ye will not destroy one an
other In the jungle the beasts are all IN
fashion, they "wool one another The IAN
guage Of genteel and ungenteel gam
bling is the language of mutual de-
struction. And it is as distinctly
an ofense against law and order to gamble
for little az to gamble for much. And II Is
a degradation Of social intercourse that IL
is only genteel way Of getting each others
money. II is opposed to the first principe
of gentility. II is no credit TO game that
its chief excitement is the chance OF max
ing something out Of a companion, the
friend at your elbow. No man feels amia-
bly, toward another who walks of with his
money In his pocket. Men have been muir
dered for twenty-five cents. Think oil an
entertainment given to Outlet and Greed