The record-union., 1898-09-12

/ fellow men. For they sleep not except
they have done mischief and their sleep
is taken away unless they cause some
/ to fall. For they eat the bread of
Wickedness and drink the wine of vio-
lence."
| The atmosphere of modern life is ma
larious with the spirit and passion of
| gambling. 1t has been called the ma
tlonal curse of England. 1t is becoming
the national sin of America. One of its
/ most popular forms is the bet. The
mania for betting is widespread. It has
/ invaded every form of athletic amuse-
ment. 1t is not confined to men only,
but women and even children are lured
into Its fatal meshes. 1t finds its eli
max in the race track, which as an
] agency of moral ruin, is not far behind
the saloon. Goldwin Smith says the
Derby of England is as demoralizing
/ as Spanish bullfght
Hall Gaines last novel will confirm
you in the impression that Ascot and
EPSON. and other race courses of Eng
land, are the very camp of the devil.
Our race tracks are no better Honor
and honesty have very little recogni
ton in their management. A New York
editor recently showed up the race track
as follows: THE race track business
from beginning to end is a tissue of
fraud and treachery 1t is only by the
merest chance that an honest race is
ever run on any track. A regular con-
splracy exists between the owners of
horses, the jockeys and the bookmak-
ers, by which the deluded wretches who
frequent the track in the hope of win
1 ming Nv yola
| horses are fieeced and robbed If per-
sons are allowed to win now and then,
it is only that the blind infatuation
may be kept up and new victims
brought in"
MY hope and prayer is that this SER
mon may reach and appeal to the reason
ana conscience of some young men, and
be the means of dissuading them from
these iniquitious, but specious paths of
rum. It is not high moral ground, but
1t is one way you should look, namely
this, your chance of gaining wealth in
these ways is infinitesimally SLIM The
professional has the game all on his
own side. 1t is a mathematical GER
talnty that the majority of those who
venture their money on these gambling
devices will lose. Even if you win
financially, you lose morally, for every
unclean dollar curses him who gives
and him who takes
| The truth I would have you remember
is this-it lowers your sense of manly
honor and dulls your conscience TO take
money by any Of these chance methods.
Herbert Spencer states the case we'll
when he says: ''It is a kind Of action
| by which pleasure is obtained at the
| cost Of pain to another. The happiness
of the winner implies the misery of the
| loser" A legitimate business transac-
ton profits both parties. The fair ex-
| change of the commodities of COM
merce benefits all parties concerned in
| the transaction. But money secured by
betting or gambling harms all parties
| concerned. These things are bad be-
cause they deny the fatherhood of God
| by warning against the brotherhood of
man. We We're made to help, not harm
| each other. It is our shame to pros
per in the downfall of others. All that
| is divine and humane in us revolts at
the idea Of rising to success over an
| other mans failure. Charles Kingsley
saw this thing clearly and stated it
| plainly when he said: Betting is
wrong because it is wrong to take your
| neighbor's money without giving him
anything in return. If you and he bet
on any event, you think that your horse
will win; he thinks that his will In
plain English, you think that you know
| more about the matter than he; you
| try to take advantage Of his ignorance,
and so conjure money out of his pocket
! into yours-a very noble and friendly
| attitude to stand to your neighbor.
| truly"
That is the plain English of it, and,
look at it upwards, downwards, siwe-
ways, inside out, you will never make
anything Of betting save this-that it is
taking advantage Of your neighbor's
supposed ignorance. But, says some
one, that is all fair; he is trying to do
as much by me. Just so, and that
again is a very noble and friendly at
titude for two men who have no spite
| against each other-a state of mutual
distrust and unmercifuness, looking
each selfishly to his own gain, regard
| less Of the interest of the other. It will
| help you see the sin of betting if you
| flx your eye on the ugly fact that sue
| cess in a bet means satisfaction in an
| other mans loss.
| Young men, if you are ambitious to
reach the highest levels of honorable
| business success, you will religiously
and steadfastly resist and spurn every
| temptation to gain wealth by methods
| that conscience and the word of God
condemn.
NO man with any moral sense or con-
science will for moment attempt to
defend or justify gambling. 1t is out
| lawed by all right thinking, clean
souled men and women. It disqualifies
a man for the legitimate business Of
life. No reputable business firm would
think for one moment Of engaging a
young man or putting him in position
of trust and responsibility if they had
the suspicion that he was a frequenter
of gambling places. There are splen-
did opportunities for young men in this
young and growing nation. Golden
leaved doors of wealth and honor are
opening wide to men of ability and in
tegrity. The head of great manu-
featuring firm in the East told
a friend of mine that he had been for
months looking for a ten-thousand-
dollar-a-year man. There is a demand
for men Of high integrity. Clean, ca
pa BILE, honest men are wanted every
where.
This last week received letter from
surety company in New York asking
certain questions concerning young
man who had applied for position of
trust in a banking institution. The
questions they asked me were these:
Have you personal knowledge of the
applicants habits and character? Are
his manner and habits Of life consist