The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-29
GAMBLING CHRISTIANS.
Pastor Lowrie Condemns Church
Rafles as Gambling.

ing sermon at Emory NJ. (. Church last
night on "Gambling and Its Results"
He took his text from Proverbs, xiv. IL.
There is a way which seemeth right unto
q man, but the end thereof are the ways
of DEATH"
He said;-"What is gambling? Gam
bling IL the stalking or winning OF prop
erSy on a mere hazard. The farmer rem
dsrs produce for his gain, the mechanlc,
labor aud skill for his, but the gambler
renders for his gain nothing but d devil
ish skill aud oflener q downright fraud.
Betting is gambling, because tuere Is no
honest equivalent in return for the money
staked. Dealing in fancy stocks Is one
Of the worst forms of gambling. Profits
so earned are no better Than money made
at the gambling table. The revelations
made during The past few years snow
very clearly how widespread the evil Is.
AL, classes OF the community are ORA wn
into the meshes of gambling in Que form
or another. Don't say that you are NOT
interested, for il you are not your self
some Que Of yovr own kindred may De-"
He gave several illustrations or PEG sle
who thought themselves Tar from the
evil and VINO had discovered their rela-
tiyes or employees embezzlers and thieves
through the passion for gambling.
directly or Indirectly, this evil touches
you and me. through our families. our
church, our city and q nation. Many
of our large commercial houses are bstnR
honeycombed as the result of gambling
in some form or Other. Gambling does
not begin in bold or startling deeds.
There Is q downward progress In stu, but
the opening aud the ending are fatally
connected. Al the opening it MAJ be
ouly the social game Of euchre which is
said to have no harm in 1t. Often in con-
nection with that game IT is proposed to
put up a small prize or wager 10 give tu-
terest TO the game, aud from time TO
time the play assumes more lnterest and
the players become more expert. The
social game of billiards Is said TO be harm
less, but IL it not u fact that they who
lave become familiar with the
gasne in Ebs private billiard room OF
the home often 90 from there 10 the pop
ular billiard saloon where money y
stakeda An example Of thus came under
my personal notice. A young man with
"a good position, aud q member of one OF
the most respectable families In this city,
look to playing billiards. A jew got hold
OF him and persuaded him to steal III
order to get money to bet IN the game.
The young man would steal the goods
aud sell them TO the Jew AZ half bietr
value. By and by he became alarmed,
and came to me and asked my advice ~
" NudU AO 51O0tA Wv pAN go ~ ~ v -
his employers aud tell them the whole
story. He did, and they had the Jew ar
rested and sent to prison. The Youag
man lived down his disgrace aud Is now
a respected member of the community.
GROWTH OF II HABIT.
s'The haoit once formed increases.
Millions OF dollars are annually lost IN
New York City at the gambling tables.
There are supposed To De at least six
thousand gambling deus in that city,
from the palatial rooms adorned with
plctures worth $4,000 to the low
est groggery. 1t is we'll under
stood that gambling prevails in all
classes OF society. The whole system of
gambling is a direct fraud upon the COM
munity, because 1t vistiates tue principle
productive Industry. II processes to offer
the greatest gain without labor. The day
Iaborer in the midst of his tolls enjoys the
consciousness thai he is doing that which
in some way will benefit the community;
but the gambler produces only Wretched-
ness and misery. He Is leading our
young men to steal, drink aud at last 10
commit murder.
the clutter of a fortune is The bait to
all gambling schemes. The means and
circumstances under which gambling Is
carried GU may differ. but the principle is
aIways the sane 1t may be carried on
with or without dominoes, cards, dice,
faro, billiards, pool and he many other
devices, and it may be carried Oh in some
forms with the approval Of those who
pretend to be members of the church OF
God: at church fairs and festivals aud in
the magnificent stock exchange. l care
not under what circumstances or whore
it is practised 1t is of the Devil aud tends
only 10 utter destruction physically.
financially and morally.
Lotteries are the most extensive OF all
.~,tt;, aohoraas YhQV hraQk 4 n StaadV
habits, destroy property and displaces In
duslry. They seek the help of the lead
ing daily newspapers. and although there
are only two States IN tho Union where
they are legalized, through the help Of
the papers and the use OF The mails. they
are doing an immense business and a gi-
gautic wrong. The effect of lottery
Gambling is %ruinous. Society," says
Judge Stone. built on such a founda-
tiou. will be sure to bring forth a popula-
ton OF gamblers and spectators who Will
live by roobing Others,
"Policy is another form of gambling,
and | should say from what / have heard
that policy is the worst form of all.
Policy is betting that certain numbers
will turn up in the lotteries. Superstition
is at the bottom Of the whole business. 1t
may be that a player dreams a Der or
sees it on q house, and then he goes and
STAKES his money on 1t, thinking that it
will bring him lnck. People lose from
1--WE cents to IS In Que day III this way.
ECCLESIASTICAL GAMBLING.
.He then old of the evils Of race track
gambling, aud Of The results from it. In
closing he said:-.I feel compelled to say
a word concerning the matter of share
taking which IL u very mild term for lot
terry at church fairs. Be 1t said to the
honor of Emory and O few more churches
in this city, nothing of this kind is in
dulged in. But 10 some fairs held under
the auspices of the church you can't be
present five minutes before o are asked
to q a chance on something or other.
What is the difference between rafting
at a church fair and Railing in q saloon?
What is the difference between taking
shares in a lottery and taking shares at
q church fairf Soma good people
can't stand this rafting SO they
go to voting. The Devil, il he was ever
known to utter a truthful word, would
say of q church where this is done,s L
helped TO build that church. Show me
a church kept up by such practises and |
will prove to you that it IL no church, for
the spirit of Christ is not in it.
"More than Que man who Is ruined to-
day took his first step on the road to
gambling by taxing chances at a church
lair.
Had | a voice loud enough to be heard
by all protesting Christians, / should say
never be guilty Of trying to SUPPORT a
church Of God bv res ordng to- eccleSiasti-
cal gambling. If the Church OF God
can't live without such means OF sup
port, let her die. aud write over her