The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-04-26
A BISHOPS CASUISTRY.

Bishop Hall. If Vermont. is not a be
lever in the old maxim, 1T Is a sin to
steal Il penny or a pin In a recent
address on Betting and Gambling and
the wrong Of IT," the bishop began by
saying that games Of chance, or OF
mingled chance and skill. are III them
selves perfectly legitimate and pro-
cceded to declare that playing for
really small stakes is not altogether
to be condemned as wrong in itself"
Here is his argument:
1T must be understood that the
amounts StaEed are 50 really small that
both players could rightly risk them in
such Il way. This provision is really two
fold. Your responsible stewardship re
quires u that you can afford TO risk
the amount without seriously feeling the
loss: and CO that the sum must be so
insignificant that no appreciate good
could be accomplished by its eXpendi-
ture in other ways. This second provi-
sion is OF great Importance. \ million
airo might not miss 500 or 500, where
You or | could not afford TO lose n dime
or a quarter. But that is not the only
question. There IS the further consider
alton of the solid gOOd which might have
been accomplished by the use of the larg-
or sum-. for the right of which the rich
man is responsible as Il steward OF 0
gifts for the common good. Our stew
ardShip for money. like our responsibility
for the use of time, is a serious ana sol
emn consideration: but it must not be
pressed unduly. beyond reason and
without limitations. AS We cannot al
| ways be on duty, and we are not really
wasting time if by way Of rest we are.
doing nothing for five minutes; so in the
expenditure of money: a man may spend
small sums without considering scrupu-
lousy whether he actually needs this or
that article. for instance Il paper or a
magazine on the cars. or Il drink of
soda water. / should most distinctly
say that it is better not 10 play for
stakes at all: because OF the difficulty Of
drawing a line, not only for yourself,
but for our companions also. rs 10 what
can rightly be afforded: because of the
danger of being led on to what is wrong.
! and because you may by your example
encourage others in what is clearly in
furious. For all these reasons it seems
to me p~re-cminently a case where We
should be ready to sacrifice what may
be our liberty for others good
The Springfield Republican says:
This bit of casuiStry would read well
beside some samples quoted in Pascal's
Letters to a Provincial" The Itut-
ledge Herald says with truth, THAT
is to say. if we understand the bishop
right, gambling is not essentially wrong;
it must not be condemned without quail
lication only when wrong results are in
VOWED Of Il substantial nature
vNha Nr,o,@ l:,la,' tc,~,;+n, =. ,,ot
unlike the Republican politicians of this
State. who. when mayor of 4 North
Carolina town, vas at some loss to kn)v
how to discharge his sworn Duties wifn-
out giving up his habit of poker playing.
One night. after he had participated ia
Il lively poker game, the mayor WAS
called nc to sentence parties guilty
Of gambling. He promptly gave them
the full limit of the law as a punish
ment for violating the statute. One of
his friends, who had been with linn in
the poker game on the previous night,
asked the mayor how he could reconcil"
his practice with his punishment of the
small fry gamblers. The mayor put on
his most official imposing aspect and
replied: Il have made up my mind, sir,
to break up all gambling in this city
- ca long pausc) where the linz. is
less than one dollar
The Vermont bishop must have been
learning his moral ethics from the North
Carolina mayor. 1t is bad enough for 4
politician TO be guilty Of such caSuiStry:
it is 4 reproach to Christianity for an
officer in the hurch to give voice 10 It.