The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-24
PROTESTS!
Rev. Mr.. Murphy on the
Gambling Law.
The 0utcast Should Find No Place
in Rhode Island.
Opening Of the Campaign for Repeal
Of the Pool Act.

In accordance with tho request to the
clergy, as printed in The News, which
omanated fromProvidence clorgymen, Rev.
William j. Murphy, pastor of the Edge
wood Congregational Church, fired the
first gun for the repeal OF Section 2, Chap
ter 1880 of the public laws-ths act which
permits horse gambling in Rhode Island.
The full text of his sermon, delivered
last evening from his pulpit, is found be-
low:
The text was from Mark 5-17 "And
they began TO pray him TO depart out of
their coasts"
Our text Is part OF narration which
sets forth with much vividness and
minuteness three scenes-To sec them in
their setting and to get our moral bear
ings requires a brief tarry at Gadara.
Christ bad just come over the lake and
was drawing nigh 10 the city when sud-
denly he was accosted by q man possessed
with an evil spirit and W ho made a tomb
in the rocky hill side his home. The man
was naked, unkept, wild; he had lost his
place among men, his place in the home,
his place in society. He was
truly an outcast. He had not only lost
himself, but he was no longer in posses
sion of that which distinguished him
from others-his personality. demon
was in control making the mans condi-
tion indescribable. His uncleanness,
ofiensiveness and loathsomoness were only
matched by his environment-the tomb.
he is utterly miserable, hopelessly
wretched, crying day and night, COM
PEELED to live q life empty OF everything
pertaining to good ness, but fillei, pressed
down and running over with evil, life OF
sbiect misery.
The second scene is In great contrast
to the first. 1t is the Man who had
calmed the wind, stilled the sea, healed
the sick, raised the dead, standing beside
the poor miserable wretch commanding
the demon in control to come out OF him."
and Immediately he who had been strip
ped OF everything conducive TO happiness
was clothed in his right mind.
The third scene is the people from all
about gathered together planning how
they could drive the deliverer out OF their
coasts. The reason for this Ito US very
strange request) was not that the man
was delivered of the evil spirit but that
herd OF swine into which the demon
had entered, ran ainto the sea and was
that fellowmau should remain In eternal
misery than to lose few swine, or in
OF her words, better let men 60 o.the bad
than to suffer financial loss. These three
scenes are not uncommon in these modern
days. There are men everywhere who are
under then influence OF seven unclean
spirits. And everywhere thes Chief seeks
to bring deliversnce, but when emanci-
patton means monetary loss, the
people, or more correctly, certain
men and corporations, consult and
devise ways to drive the deliverer out Of
their midst. 1t does not require large
draft on the imagination to see the
moral condition OF this tomb dweller in
the victim of the gambler. He who Is
under the control of the gambling de-
mon has lost ell the finer sensibilities OF a
man. His love for home Is gone; his wife
and children are seen through the hot
flame OF vice. He loses himself and all
which true manhood represents. He is
united for business because business
success depends upona cool head and self
control. The mind is unbalanced; the de-
lirium OF getting something for nothing is
in possession. AS no man engaged in
legitimate business would take gambler
into partnership or employ him as q clerk
he finds his place among the morally dead.
All this and much more Is true OF the
professional gambler. He is not a model
citizen, his associations are immoral; he
never stands in defence of right living and
honesty; he and his associates are a con-
slant menace to good morals and good
society; his presence in our civilization, to
say the least, is blundor. The profess
sional gambler, while playing upon
the credulity OF others does not
trust to chance, his dice
are loaded, his cards marked, his thumb
is filed, his cuff buttons have mirrors, his
coat sleeves are lined with horsehair cloth
and stacked with aces. he wears har-
ness under his vest, which takes low cards
aud gives aces. His faro box is built with
springs; his wheel OF fortune Is so ad
justed that he compels IL TO stop in his
interest. Horses and jockeys are but
puppets, the races are decided before
they are run. In word, the professional
gambler is the most delicately adjusted
machine In the world for the annihilation
OF good morals and tho destruction OF
men.
The gambling demon not only makes
outcasts OF men, but ho Is a constant pro-
drccr OF crime; $50 murders, 80 suicides,
% forgsries and 100 cmbeLxiemets are part