Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-18
MINISTER'S AND THE TIGER
Union Discusses the Prospective Opening of
the Gambling Houses
APPOINTS A COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE
Dr, Wheeler ENp1odcS Bomb by
Declaring that High Five liz ns
Bad ns other Games
OF Chance.

An intimation that public gambling was
to be resumed in Omaha as soon as the new
state officers took their seats caused some
thing of furry at the regular meeting Of
the Ministerial union yesterday morning, In
the same connection the clergymen present
listened to some very pointed remarks by
one of their number, who had no hesitation
in expressing his conviction that the min
listers had plenty to do right in their own
congregations II they proposed to begin a
fight against gambling.
The matter came up very Unexpectedly to
most OF the members. The general business
had been transacted and the ministers were
settling down for the literary part of the
program. when Rev. w. w. Everts of the
Beth Eden Baptist church rose to announce
that there was a matter of which the union
should take notice. He said that he had
been informed that public gambling was to
be resumed in this city and the ministers
should get ready to combat II. II was a
matter of general knowledge, he said, that
gambling had been carried on in secret in
some of the finest business blocks in the
city but now he was assured that the vice
was to be allowed to flourish without re-
Straint.
1t was a couple of minutes after Rev
Evcrts sat down before any one spoke
understood that the report that the gambling
houses were to be reopened came from the
boast of a gambler who had become as
Sociated with certain politicians. He sug-
gCsted that Rev. Everts and some other
minister be appointed as "lookouts' to in
vcstigate the matter and report to the union
at a future time
At this point Rev Robert l.. Wheeler of
South Omaha took the tlCCr and said some
things that his colleagues scarcely knew
batb bnr tp nd nr wi
silence. isn't this a little cheap said Rev.
Mr. Wheeler. "when every minister here
knows that high five and progressive eucher
are being played in their own congrega-
tions? judgment should begin first in the
house of the Lord, and when the members
of your congregation and mine meet and
play high five for a BOBBY prize. II is
just as much gambling as though they were
playing for the value Of that prize. Until
a voice is lifted from every pulpit i'm the
city against the gambling that is going on
in our very congregations. we stand in
very poor position to say this feeble thing
against public gambling
There was some evident embarrassment
after Rev. Mr.. Wheeler sat down. 1t WIS
broken by DR.. Butler, who said ne knew
nothing about high five, but this came before
the union as n very different matter. He
thought the idea of having any reliable
information brought before the union H.
a concrete form was a good one. The mo-
tion was amended to make Or. Butler the
second member OF the lookout" committee
and was then passed, Rev. Wheeler voting
in the negative.
Miss Cady, secretary of the Young
Women's Christian Temperance union, was
given the floor to request the ministers to
be present at the reception given by the
union during the evening. In this con
nection Miss Cady briefly reviewed
the growth of the union in Omaha and
spoke Of the results and the objects effected
Rev. S. b. Mccormick of the First Pres
byterian church brought up the subject o.
the quiet day." suggested by the Evangel-
ical alliance. The idea was to set aside
the ministers by meeting together for prayer
and conference. The matter was set aside
to be acted upon later.
The ministers then listened to a very
earnest and practical address by Rev. J
NJ. Wilson of the CASTELAR, Presbyterian
church on "How to Secure a Revival OF
Religion in Omaha"