The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-21
LOCALIZED GAMBLING.
REV. DIR. y. \. DIN PREACHED a
POWERFUL SERMON ON SUBJEtT.
He showed the Evil Results Of Gambling
When Sanctioned by the state tie
scored the Rcddy Biii.

and the Richmond Dispatch for It's sup
port OF the same. Or. Dill took as his text
sBut they that will be right fan into
temptation and snare, AMI into many
foolish and huriful lusts which drown
men in destruction and perdition'-l Ilm'
60
lie said the Apostle is teaching a lesson
of true contentment, and IN this connec-
ton shows how the passion for richcs
leads 60 all sorts OF evil when man
puts the love Of money, which Is tne
root of all sorts Of evil. above all else ne
soon finds that be is pierced through WIN
many Sorrows The man determined 10
get rich at all hazards Is soon tempted
TO foolish and hurtful lusts.
OF the hurtful lusts into which the ioVe
of money leads. perhaps none IS more
general or more soul-oestioylhs '"""
gambling.
GAMBLING AN UGLY WORD.
Gambling is an ugly word. 1t Is woro
that is laden with much that Is uaih'S
and lowest i'm human life. The character
of the confirmed gambler Is that from
which a man with even blunied moral
faculties instinctyely shrinks. Inc pas
sion for gambling is one Of 'hose
strong tendencies In the human
heart. which 1t is as dangerous
TO tempt or 10 excite. as Is the
appetite for strong drink. II must not
be tampe ed with Too easily is II klndIed
into a flame that sweeps All neiV'S H.
The Devil is a shrewd fellow. lie knows
better than 10 come TO cultured Christian
men and women and invite them 10 some
low gambling hell. But with horns and
hoofs hid beneath the veneering OF re-
spectability, ana choosing less offensive
words he ontices TO the violation OF ldeh-
tically the same principle. Thus would
ne excite the passion Tor gambhhs ana
lead on TO its worst forms. Permit me
inst here to give a definition and answer
a query What is gambling? To play
or game for money or other stake What
moral principle is here violated? Inc
principle that loss OF gain is without value
received. and rests upon mere chance anu
thus excites and appeals 10 wrong pas
sion In the heart
Gambling has come 10 include all those
devices OF whatever kind in which this
great moral principle is involved. Hence
the evil OF forms.
FORMS or GAMBLING.
First There is gambling in stock eX-
change. The price OF wheat or cotton or
corn is made the basis of speculation ana
there is a thoroughly organized system
bv which men gamble on futures. This
Is a great and crying evil in our land, ana
is the source OF untold misery 10 thou
sands.
secondly. Tfere is gambling with cards
and other games. and often beginning IN
the social circle Of a cultured home the
passion is klndled and carries many
noble boy on TO the worse dives of great
CITY. Parents cannot too closely guard
their children against this temptation.
Thirdly. There is gambling with lot
teries and rallies
what Is a lottery? "A distribution Of
prizes by lot or chance What is a
rattle? "A game of chance or lottery IN
which several persons deposit or furnish
a part OF the value of something, and 1t
Is determined by chance which of them
shall become sole pOssessOr.' In lotteries
and rallies what moral principle is VIC
lated? What is the element of wrong!
1 answer that II is identically the same
as that OF gambling 1t appeals TO just
the same passion in man, viz. the desire
for gain, without value received, resting
upon mere chance.
The element OF chance is the moral
wrong in all these devices, and every one
appeals TO and excites the gambling pas
sion The principle Of the thing is radi-
caly wrong in each case. No matter IN
what form the evil is presented to MS. or
under what new name or new color II
I
citizen or Christian ought TO have any
part or parcel with IT, Whether it comes
I'm the borrowed name OF an angel OF
charity, or i'm the name of the church
tand blush TO think IL has the eiirOntery
10 thus appear or whether IL comes In the
name of business enterprise, the same
principle being violated, the same pas
sion in man appealed TO, and il is a moral
wrong against which we must all watch
hat
we enter not into the temptation.
Oh. how smooth does the devil
make the track to ruin. 1t he
gins perhaps at church fair. or a mill
tary bazaar where from fair feminine
lips liz given the irresistible invitation
Take a chance" and where first the
dark passion is kindlel, and ii goes on
Through the blackened track of ruin 10
the gamblers hell.
But not only is gambling and all lot
terry devices moral wrong, but so ter
rible is the evil that in every civilized
land Il Is made a civil wrOng--it Is an
offence against the majesty of human
law. and is therefore, doubly wrong
Had / the time. IL would be interesting
TO trace the history of lotteries. ! could
show how, i'm France and England ana
America they were tolerated, and were
the subjects Of all sorts of legislation IN
order to keep them from welding too
bad an influence until. i'm each case, 1t
was found that the only remedy was
complete suppression.
Fourthly one of the worst forms OF
gambling. and that To which ! direct
especial attention at this time, is gam
bling on trials OF skill or speed.
This Is a most subtle form of the great
evil. and seeks TO hide its enormity be
hind the real good and merit of the con-
test of whatever sort. Thus we ma
an increasing amount OF betting on base
baI. and It Is always cOnspicuously an
nounced how the betting goes on
game OF football. Thus, these great
collegiate games are brought into re-
proach
THE VERY WORST FORM.
But the worst form and degree of gam
bling OF this kind is that upon horse
racing. and IL IS hiding itself behind our
State fairs ana agricultural exhibitions.
But the cloven foot Of the monster Is
100 plain. ana a cry has gone uD from
the good people Of the Commonwealth OF
Virginia Virginia to-day lives with a
dark stain upon her white robe. Tier
garments are s0ied at the hands OF her
aw-givers-the very ones who should
guard her sacred honor and high integ-
rity. Virginia has been legalizng one
OF the worst forms OF gambling.
The present laws I'm Virginia have
made possible during the past year an
iniouity thai has disgraced the annals OF
our STATE IL has been a stencil In the