The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-08
THE GAMBLING EVIL.

In the April Forum appears very val
liable contribution by the Rev. DR.. Samuel
Newton Smyth, pastor of the First Con-
gregational Church of New Haven, Conn
author of number of notable works of a
religious and moral character, president of
the New Haven Law and Order League,
and leader of the vigorous crusade against
the gamblers of that city. His paper is
entitled Suppression of the Lottery and
Other Gambling" and it is so pertinent to
the condition of affairs in San Francisco,
and unintentionally is so earnest an ap-
peal to the moral forces working for the
good of this City, that review of it will
prove timely and instructive.
The latter part of the paper, which we
shall consider first, is devoted to the ethics
of gambling. The arguments are old, but
always excellent. They may be sum-
married thus: The foundation of gamb bling
is covetousness. The ethics of betting can
not be determined by affirming the right
of an individual to do what he pleases
with his own, for money is a social prod
uct and its use reaches beyond the indi-
vidual to the social compact. Human
experience has but one testimony to give
concerning the social consequences of
transactions in which men seek to gain
something for nothing" The principles
of economic law and ethical obligation
are violated in the practice The writer
then makes direct attack on the evil
moral effect of those college sports which
encourage betting.
DR.. Smyth's paper starts out with the
declaration that frequent agitation in the
newspapers and the records of legislation
for the past two years show that vigorous
awakening of public sentiment is taking
place concerning modern forms of gam
bling" No sooner had Congress prohi-
bited the use of the mails for the transac-
ton of the pernicious business of lotteries
than the express and telegraph companies
supplied the lack. Thus some of the
richest corporations in the country became
the agencies for the PRONUNCIATION of the
lottery evil. This became so fragrant and
offensive that in the closing hours of the
last Congress the moral sentiment there
represented rose superior to the powerful
monetary interests which hitherto had
been invincible in its ability to corrupt,
and a law was passed prohibiting the
transmission of gambling matter from
State to State by mail, express or other
agencies.
Turning now from DR.. Smyth's article to
the lottery evil as it exists in San Fran
cisco, we find that while most, if not all, of
the churches have abandoned the conduct
of lotteries and raffies at church fairs as in
furious practices, there is no evidence that
the churches have arrayed themselves
against the great lotteries that are robbing
and demoralizing the poorer members of
the congregations and the community;
that the various commercial and industrial
agencies which seek to promote the pros
perity of the people are not opposing
warning and guard against this enticing
form of theft; that while there are the
strictest State and municipal laws against
lotteries, and against the SALE offer of sale,
purchase and even possession of lottery
tickets. the business is conducted openly
in the City and under the very eyes of the
authorities; that while newspapers are
prohibited from publishing advertisements
of lotteries, some of them take advantage
of loosely drawn law to publish the ad-
vertisement after the drawing has occurred,
which is not expressly prohibited, though
manifestly violative of the spirit of the
law, and which, being the list of winning
numbers, is the only advertisement that
the lottery companies care to have pub
lished.
Such is the condition of affairs in San
Francisco, and such the neglect of the
great moral and industrial forces for the
welfare of the people. We prefer to be-
lieve that much of this is pure needless
ness, especially on the part of the news
papers; and we trust that a manly and
patriotic regard for the responsibilities
resting upon them will soon direct their
energies into worthier ways.