Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-10-06
PLAIN TALK ON GAMBLING.
REV. sEABRooK HANDLES THE
SUBJECT WITHOUT GLOVES.
The Lutheran Church was CrowJed
Last Night to Hear Rev. W. L.
seabrook on THE Horse Race and
Public Morals"

| hbAAS AASsoa's
One OF the most striking sermons Of
the year was delivered to large audi
ence last evening by Rev. W. l.. Sea-
brook Of the Lutheran church.
A mere synopsis can give little idea
Of the sermon. Mr.. Seahrook's
remarks about the horse race served
merely as an introduction to the larger
subject. After expressing his love for
the horse, the preacher bade godspeed
| 10 every association Of breeders and
every individual who seeks TO deyelODe
to the highest point Of excellence the
majesty, strength, beauty aud ileetness
of foot of this good friend Of man, and
said that he halls with delight every
broken record by q Nancy Hanks or
Patsy Curtis, because 1t tells Of pro.
gression.
"The horse race is all right If
properly conducted. AS n means Of
developing the horse II seems necessary.
But IL is not necessary TO d-baBe the
man In order to elevate the brute. II
tuay be necessary to give prize to the
swiftest racer, to encourage men in
their efforts to develope the horse.
There is essentially no more harm In
giving prize to the swiftest horse than
in giving prize to the farmer who
raises the best wheat, or the woman
who paints the most beautiful picture
"Not the horse races, but their I'M
necessary surroundings warn us of one
direction in which the public morals
are endangered. The horse race il all
right, but It's attendant gambling is all
wrong, not because 1t is gambling on a
horse race, but but because all gambling
Is wrong.
"The gambling vice is not product
of the nineteenth century. IL is not
confined to any nation. There never
was u time when II could have been
more general than 1t II today" To
show how deeply the evil has taken
hold Of our every day life, the speaker
enumerated many of the gaming devices
of the American people, and cited
many phrases, which have come Into
common use, which are the property
of the gambler, and then spoke of 1.-THE
robbery perpetrated under the name of
gambling, during the past week in
Abilene, under the very eyes of the
officers of the law" and the Effect of
evil in its demoraliziug influence upon
the young, and Of the many semi public
gambling rooms open in the city and
said, with such facts before NJ, ]
need make no apology, either for any
act Oh my part during the week, nor
for bringing the subject before the
people. Tbs tune has come when no
influence should be neglected which
may lessen the awful evil. 1t is the
| duty of all true men and women Ia
| denounge II without fear or favor, and
their duty to see that their own lives
are above even the appearance of evil
lie then cited many instances Of ruined
lives, The results of the gambling
mania prove It only evil. The State
recognizes its harmfuiness. M state
has more stringent laws on the subject
than Kansas. Sections 1876, 1880 and
1881, Of the statutes were clted.
lie then said But gambling /. moi
an evil solely because Of the results
lowing theTefrom, nor because the Law
says II is evil. 1t Is itself essentially
evil, There are five ways in which {
man may obtain that which was hefoEl
the property Of another, in two Of
these ways, the property right changes
What WAS yours becomes mine. In thu
other three the property right remainI
unchanged. may acquire that whict
which was another's by its bestowmenI
as a gift, or through legitimate business
transaction, in which give an equiva
lent In property or in service for thai
which receiso. may obtain 1t in {
business transaction by pretending Il
give an equivalent, when in fact none
Is given, in plain language by cheating
| may obtain II by stealing. ! may
obtain It by gambling. That tho prop
erty right does not change In the LAS
three transactions Is plainly seen from
the following facts: In the case o.
cheating, man offers me horse, war
ranting him sound in wind and limb
knowing that he is unsound. Dlscov
ering the unsoundness, II | have mo-
paid the purchase money, he cannot
collect it. AZ have paid it car
recover the price paid by legal process
In the case Of stealing, | cannot only
recover my property, but the thief II
punished by imprisonment. In The
case of gambling, bet man $500 tina
Cleveland will be elected President
OF tie United States, putting my
note for tho amount, payable March 4
1903, in the hands of a stake holder
Harrison is elected. refuse to pay
the note. He brings suit to collect
But the law refuses to lend ITS aid il
the enforcement Of gambling contract
or TO collect gambling debt. BY tn,
law gambling is thus classed with
cheating and qtealing. Gambling il