The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-18
Butte DEPARTMENT.
DON'T FLAUNT VICE
If Men Must Sin Let Them Sin in
Secret.
REV. FOUNDER ON GAMBLING
Moral Philosophy and How II Is
Studied by Certain Aldermen
The Popular Divine Makes
Few Remarks.
REV. FOUNDER ON GAMBLING


Rev. jeremiah Rounder delivered a
lecture to large audience at the city
hall last night on the theme Lead Us
Not Into Temptation" Front seats
had been reserved for the aldermen.
but the seats were mainly conspicuous
for their vacancy. only a few of the
aldermen accepting the invitation ex-
tended. Mayor Thompson, however.
was present, together with his whis-
kers, and ne remarked that he was
pleased to find at length that there
was one thing on which himself and
his reverence could agree. After the
usual preliminary services, Mr.. Round
er proceeded as follows:
Il wish to say a few words tonight
on the fallacy of the theory that the
way TO cure a vice is to fiaunt IL in the
faces of the public. My remarks will
be with particular references to the vice
of gambling. i am relieved from the
necessity OF proving that gambling is
a vice. because the aldermen who have
expressed themselves on the matter
have declared in public that gambling
Is wrong, that IL ought to be abolished
altogether. and that the way 10 get II
abolished is to make ii as public as
possible. 1t scarcely seems possible to
think that. Two weeks before that po-
sition was taken they had declared 1t
best for the entire community in their
opinion to relegate gambling TO the
upper floor. Without any preliminary
notice, without apparently any discus
sion of the matter whatever eight al
dermen, all of a sudden, with singular
unanimlty. changed their minds and
concluded that 1t was for the best in
terests of the community to have gamb-
ling downstairs.
In response to the inquiry as TO
what had caused this sudden and
unanimous change in sentiment, the
has been that the aldermen had been
studying moral philosophy and as
a result of such study had all become
persuaded that the way to kill gamb-
ling Is to fiaunt 1t in the faces OF the
public
on moral philosophy the aldermen
have been studying. Thirty years of
Haunting the vice of gambling in the
faces of the boys of Butte has not sue
ceeded in abolishing gambling, and
the effect ON the boys of Butte has been
disastrous in the extreme. / would like
to read this treatise on moral philos-
ophy to find out how many more years
this vice must be Haunted in order to
get it to position where II will be
abolished. / would like to know how
malH more boys of Butte are TO be
ruined before the Haunting of the vice
Is to get in its work.
Before the aldermen graduate in
moral philosophy i would recommend
that they take a few lessons in that
study from the mothers of Butte. ]
would like to have them ask the
mothers of Butte's sons whether II is
better to raise those sons I'm a commu-
nifty where gambling is Haunted, where
temptation Is thrown in the face of ev-
cry boy every time ne walks down the
street, or where II is concealed and the
boy is not tempted unless ne hunts for
temptation. / would ask the aldermen.
before they graduate in moral philos-
ophy. to ask the mothers Of young men
who were raised in Butte from child
hood, who were placed In responsible
official positions. and who have put
left town between two days and are
now wandering In foreign lands, ask
those mothers whether II Is well TO
raise boys in a community where
gambling Is made respectable, and is
Haunted on the ground floor OF the
principal block I'm the principal business
street OF the city. By the shades of
four score suicides. by the memory OF
scores of young men VINO proved faith
less to their employers and are now
fugitives or in jail. i declare that the
theory OF curing gamlbling by Haunting
n Is a fallacy and a failure!
III the way to cure gambling is to
place 1t on the ground floor of the prin-
cipal block In the principal street of
the city. then let us cure prostitution
by placing the houses of ill-fame on
the opposite side of Main street. IL
we can cure gambling by Haunting II,
and making Il as public as possible,
let US cure prostitution by Haunting
that, and making that as public as
from the gambling craze by placing
temptation daily and hourly In Their
pathway. then they can be preserved
from the vice Of immortality by placing
temptation constantly in their path.
II IL is a good thing 10 fiaunt gambling
In order that 81 may eventually be
abolished. then by the same reasoning
It is good thing to haunt prostitu-
ton.
Every stranger who has visited
Butte in years past has looked on
gambling as 10 all appearances the
chief Industry of the town. IL has been
the most conspicuous business OF the
town. The chamber of commerce has
prepared pamphlet setting forth the
resources of Butte and the advantages
OF the city as a place Of residence and
OF business. Let US make Il a At place
for residence. In the light of the three
decades just past. It cannot be truth
fully said that Butte has been a de-
sirable city in which to bring up chill