The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-10-07
THE BETTING CURSE.
The Subject Handled without Gloves by
Rev. j. ID. Gold.

Tho Subject Handled without Gloves by
Rev. j. ID. Gold.
Last Sunday night Rev. ]. d. Gold
took as his text Romans 1873, "Ab-
hor that which is evil" and kept
every body wide awake for about
forty minutes as he reviewed the
gambling and betting laws of the
ancient Jews and Romans, and also,
the legislation of England and this
country on the subject. Gambling
has always been recognized as "a
menace To the morals of n people and
the perpetuity of a government. If
we " ere all betters, or Whiskey sell
lers, or drunkards, how long would
our government Last? 1t is morality
that is the preserving salt of a ma
ton, and it is because of this fact that
all nations, in self defense, have
tried to control or wipe out betting
and drunkenness. In the ancient
Jewish courts the evidence OF q mau
who was known to have made a bet
was not received. His oath was not
worth anything.
This was right. When q mau tries
to take your money without giving
you anything in return he is thief,
and his evidence is not worth any
thing. Examine this logic. "A thief
is q mau who tries to take your
property without giving you al
equivalent in return. A gambler
tries TO take your property without
giving you an equivalent ia return.
Therefore gambler is a thief. This
syllogisn can never be broken, and 4
gambler stands branded before the
bar of reason as thief and roSher.
A recent English law on gambling
brands the mun who bets, aud there
by tries to get his DeighbOrs property
for nothing, as "a rogue and vsga-
bond" In the reign of George i Il
man was fiucd five times az Inuch as
he lost or won in bet. This would
be healthy law now. Betting, like
swearing, began in trS ing to give
weight to statement OF opinion
When a man has to back up his
statement by bet, or an ugly piece
of IasI.hemiug, he evidently fer
the weakness of thr character behi;id
his words. A mars character shouid
give sufficient weight TO his opinion
or statement.
Gambling will finally lead 10 it,
logical resu;t-Open or secret stealing.
The young men who stole iTGm the
bank in Nashville began then eNi!
cour-e 10y betting III the Capital
Club.
No bank will employ man who is
known to bet. Neither will any
seusib!e employer. When a man
| tries to get his neighbours money
through a bet he will soon try TO ge.
his employers by any means l
would not trust n betting man as fur
as could throw hIm. Betting finally
| leads to its kindred sin of drunken
nees and iGIeness. Gamblers arr
usually dead beats, and they fire.
1uently die with their boots On. A
millionaire gambler was killed the
| other week III Chicago while running
from policeman after having killed
man When you lose re- pect for your
neighbors property yOn easily lose re-
| spect for his most sacred possession
his life and character. The gambling
! fever il at white heat now III Co
! iumbia evidently.
am told that boys from ten ia
| fourt. eU, AMI even " Omt n, have been
found netting in Columbia lately on
| iorse rat e.. II we cannot have II
| county tai= without bettiug-and they
say we ee.Inot-theu l say Gown
with the fair. II the laws OF Fehnes-
ace fierce betting upon our county far
race track then vote for no man that
has not got morality enough TO helI
repeal such infamous laws. You had
better have no fair than to have nc
boys. Grd !.elp Us all TO be honest
and faithful.