The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-10
THE NATIONS Sin.
The Rev. Mr.. Hathaway's
Views on the Subject
Of Gambling.
ABOUT TIE SANE AS STEALING.
Wall Streets Big stock Business
No Better Than a Lottery
Long Branch Races
And Business

The Rev. 1. W. Hathaway preached a
sermon yesterday morning at the West
minister Presbyterian Church on the sub
ject OF gambl ing. He took for his text
the eighth commandment, Thou shalt
not stealn
In accordance with the idea CLEANED
from the Scriptures that while the writ
ten law said Thou shalt not steap yet
whoever hatetn his brot her is a murder
err" the minister classed gambling as
stealing. "God,n he said, "does not
merely take cognizance OF the out
ward act, but the inward intent
Thou shalt not steai,' in the old and
written Mosaic law bound the outward
act, that nothing should be taken that
belonged to another But the same law
as found In the gospel reaches to the in
tent--the motives Of man. He that wills
to steal, he that has the purpose to stea !,
he that has the desire to steal, Is thief,
though he never SO much as taxes
penny's worth not his own.
Stealing is the intsnt TO get the prop
erty of snother without adequate recon-
pense. Then gambling is stealing by
both parties-before the issue of the game
or bet is determined. They both hope 70
secure the property Of the other without
rendering an equivalent. Therefore they
are both thieves at heart. Two men who
fight duel are both murderers, no mat
ter which one is killed" In other por-
tions Of his sermon the minister eaid:-"lt
even makes a novice smile 10 hear talk OF
gam bling without cheating, of square
games and honest races. How much
honest gambling, think you, there Is IN
the worldf Gambling without cbeatfnga
IL <rxff fnIsf r.r.A
without lying, or -ntoxicatteu, without
drunkenness, or profanity without swear
ing, or MONDAY brightness at midnight
"Gamhling involves not only the break
ing of the eighth commandment Thou
shalt net steal; but the ninth and tenth
as well. 1t involves stealing, lying and
covetinQ. AS to the universally or this
sin. the civilization of this age, this
Christian civilization, is honey combed
with the gambling practice. 1t Is
universal mania. 1t seems to be as
natural for man 30 gamble as 1t IS Tor
him to breathe, and every man not re-
strained by principle is a gambler in some
form or another.
AN EARLY BEGINNING.
"Boys are seen all over our city pitch
ing pennies and playing marbles for
keeps, all of which is the beginning OF
an appetite as uncomfortable as that for
rum. which leads him Mt last to the galn-
C.
ingenuity of the human mind is displayed
In the infinite variety of methods to in
dulpe this propensity. The other day at
Asbury Park I heard the young ladies'
talking OF penny walk What can
penny walk bef was my inquiry. soon
learned 1t was a walk determined IN its
direction by the tossing of penny.
Heads to the right, tails 10 the left. 50
they tossed to see which way they should
start. and at each cross street their direc-
tiou was determined by the same process.
In this was the germ OF gamolng-a
latent superstitIous fatalism-a sort OF
faith in what chance will produce for our
future.
AThe secret of the nations appetite for
gambling is found in the deprayity OF the
human heart, which has not faith in God
and yet desires TO unlock the secrets OF
the future. A good cause never justifies
the means. Gambling for a church is
stealing for the church. Gambling at the
fairs of the g. A. r. OF for lodges is no
less gambling than for undivided gain.
80 grear are the gains of certain great
gambling institutions Of this age that
they override the law, cramp the public
conscience and cause wholesale demoral-
ization of public morality. Such as the
Louisiana lottery, the horse-racing fra
ternttfes, the jockey clubs investing mil
lions in tracks and all that pertains to
their equlpments, and the commercial
exchanges, stock boards, etc. A rev
days ago was at Long Branch. 1t looked
deserted. The great Ocean Hotel was
closed and its beautiful lawn patch Of
weeds. The reason assigned Is the clos
ing of the race track. At Asbury Park
the dullness of the season is ascribed to
the same cause. The farmers and trades
men and hotel keepers and boarding
house keepers are all praying for its open
ing. and will urge upon the Legislature
this winter the necessity Of legaliz.ng
pool selling or gambling.
well. why not Wall street is no
better. There may be an honest horse
race. There may be and an bonest stock
trade, but nine tenths of them are gamb-
liag pure and simple. Wall street is
cess pool of gambling. Nine-tenths of
the operations of the STOCK board are
pure gambling, and not one whit better
than the faro bank or the bunco steerer's
den. Whoever puts up his money on
margin in Wall street does precisely what
the man does who buys a pool ticket at
the races. The so called Christian soeis-
ty of this age is in the iron clutch OF this
gigantic evil. Gambling and iutemper-
ance are the two great vampires who
are sucking the life blood OF the people
and undermining the Church and all
morality"