Connecticut western news., 1893-05-04

race track. Of all the institutions of gambling that curse our modern life, am thoroughly convinced that this is the most terrible. It is carried on day in and day out, year in and year out. And what makes it so universal in it's power to touch and destroy life is the fact that there Is not newspaper published today In our great cities whose columns are not disgraced by the reports of this internal institution. The press panders to the doings of the race managers, their pro- grammes, their races, their results, until it Is impossible for an honest young man to read the happenings of the world daily and not be brought into immediate con- tact with the possibility of entering gamblers life.
 There are race tracks that are called respectable. There are those that are denounced by the papers. But they are all reported, and the results are thrust under the nose of men and women whose lives are the furthest removed from such an influence. In the name of God and of truth and of right, in the name of the thousands and tens of thousands of young men ruined every year at the race track,
 
 bauched lives through the contact of dis reputable characters elbowing each other at these public assemblies, arraign those who are thus debauching the lives of the innocent public.
 In the name of God, ask our editors who profess Christianity, who profess humanity, how it is possible for them to denounce the lottery and the policy shop and make a speciality of reporting the races. Every race track is a field of blood, and no man can deny it and talk seriously of life. When men, referring to the race track, say that it's purpose is to improve the breed of horses, they lie, and they know they lie. The breed of horses has not been improved by the race track. The breed of horses Is not being improved by the race track. It never has been so; it never will be so. The horse which is the product of the race track is not an improvement on the normal animal He is monstrosity; he is useless except as a senseless extrava- gance. Not only is the race horse use- less to the world; he is hideous to look upon. He is neither beautiful nor use- ful; he is trained and bred to be all bone and muscle. The laws of beauty are all bred out of him; he is simply trans formed into an aggregation of legs and strained neck.
 POOLROOMS OF THE CITY. The thousands of young men and wom- en who attend the races are ruined in in- fuence and character, and assert. with out the fear of contradiction, that no man who attends the race track and pre- tends to responsibility would keep in his employ young man whom he should meet at the same track. He knows that he could not trust him with his money. He knows that he could not trust him with his business. He knows that the man who attends the race track con- stantly will come, and come early, to lie, to cheat, to swindle, to steal. The only reason why the man of respectable name and pretensions in society, and even in the church, who attends the race track is not guilty of these things is simply because he does not meet the temptation or does not have the opportunity.
 Gathered all around the race track, and inevitably so, are the poolrooms of the city. These are veritable hell holes, to describe which is superfuity. No man has ever dared to stand up before rational men and women and give one word in excuse for their existence. They pander to the lowest and the vilest. The results upon character are always utter ly vicious. The power of these institu- tions to destroy young men is something appalling, and the preacher of the gos- yL0 fv, o0f xusf men as do in this hall has 8 revelation on this score that is simply heartrending. There are from 4,000 to 5000 young men who attend these services. I am brought in contact daily with the lives of thousands of young men. would not give copper for the character of any young man who has attended race
 track or 8 poolroom or gambling den for six months. There is nothing left in him after that experience. There is no character by which you can take hold of him. have seen them go down, again and again, again and again, until, sick at heart and almost in despair, I have felt like giving up the work of preaching the gospel of love and leading crusade with sword and torch against those who are destroying the possibility of manhood and of life.
 received letter from Scotland some time ago asking me to look after a young man in my congregation. did. in terested myself in him. l did my best with him. It was no use. He was a liar and scoundrel, and he had not at tained his twentieth year. He did not know how to tell the truth, because the very foundations of truth and honor and integrity had been destroyed in gam
 bling. found young man some time ago in distressing circumstances, about | to fall into the hands of the law because | of his extravagance. I lent him mon- ey, and he promised everything, and he kept no promises. He took good pains, however, to keep the money. I have
 sought with tears and prayers and sacri- | fees to save scores of young men when | once under the influences of gamblers l and gam bling, and have never succeed | ed in saving one to my knowledge.
 have advanced money again and again
 to keep them out of Jail and from public
 disgrace, and have in every case lived | to regret it. I have never advanced one l of them dollar that has been returned.
 The reason is they do not know how to
 tell the truth. They do not know the
 value of money. They have lost their
 powers of reckoning from the moral l point of view.
 A young man with brilliant mind and | liberal education came to the city some
 time ago. His life had been hallowed l by prayer from his cradle. He had the
 brightest prospects before him. He had
 the highest testimonials in his pockets.
 He had the best avenues open for suc- l cess. But he went to the races one day.
 He went again; he continued to go. He I dropped from the race track into the
 poolroom and from the poolroom to the 1 house of strange women, where he lived | in debauchery for a year. until wrecked