The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-08
BUSINESS
PARASITES.
DR.. W. L. S. Murray De-
clares Gambling Pro-
duceS Them.

ness Parasites. It was an earnes
talk in which the college dean ad
vised his young hearers to avoid al
forms Of gambling. Following
the text of the talk:
"Henry Drummond says, TIL
Dodder is a plant which begins lif
with the best OF intentions, strike
true roots into the soil and reall,
appears as if it meant to be indie
pendent for life. But after sup
porting itself for briet period i
fixes curious sucking discs into the
stem and branches of adjacent
plants, and after little experiment.
ing, the Dodder finally ceases to dc
anything for its own support. thence
forth drawing all its supplies ready
made from the sap of its host.
SIN this parasitic state it has no
need for organs Of nutrition Of its
own and Nature therefore takes
them away. Henceforth to the bot
anist the adult Dodder presents the
the degraded spectacle of plant
without root, without twig,
without leaf, and having stem
so useless as to be inadequate to
bear its own weight. Asa parasite
it has no thought for it's race or tor
perfection.in any shape or form. 1t
wants two things-iood and shelter.
How it gets them is of no moment.
Each member lives exclusively on
its own account, an insulated, selfish,
and degenerated life. The para
site is consumer pure and simple.
They are numbered by the thous-
and. They produce nothing for
their own or for the general good,
but live and live luxuriously at the
expense of others. They not only
iniure themselves but wrong others.
They disobey the fundamental law
Of their own being and tax the ill.,
nocent TO contribute to their dist
grace. 1t would be almost impossi-
bic to either conceive or write
more thorough description of gam
bier than this history of the Dodder.
The parasitic plant and the para
site gambler are almost perfect
parallels.
?. The Dodder begins life with
the best of intentions. So does the
gambler. There are many who are
numbered with the wrecked and
ruined at last, who look upon cards
for the first time at home. The first
lesson is often given by a fond
mother who has no thought OF lay
ing the foundation of a gamblers
life This is often done under the
specious name Of amusement Play
ing is the seed from which comes up
from gambling, 1t is the light wind
which brings the storm. 1t is the
white frost which precludes the win
ter. 1t is a mistake to think there
is no harm in the beginning. Amusc-
ments which have such blight
ing power in the end, surely
have some baneful influence in the
embryo. IF gambling is vortex,
PLAYING is the outer ring OF the NAL
strom. As mothers often play
cards with their sons who become
carried away with excitement for
the game is it not just to conclude
many such who become expert gam
blers were homemade, There was
no evil intent, the beginning it may
be was innocent. but the end breaks
abe heart that the beginning glad
dcncd.
3. The Dodder in its second stage
fixes curious sucking discs into the
stems and branches of ad jacent
plants. II begins on those nearest
at hand. Ii does not make an as
sault but lays a siege. So it is with
him who is home taught, the second
ST age is to seek amusement and eX-
cltemcnt with those outside OF the
home. From playing for fun he now
plays for some small stake. 1t
spices the game. He is not gam
bling, he was with gentlemen, there
was no cheating, il nybody blames
Il Young man for Il little innocent
cxhilaration, he is bigot, let him
croak! lie is away Irom home now,
not far away either, only one step
from the home game of cards to the
adjacent place.
4. The Dodder gives up self
support. Instead of drawing its
supplies from the earth from which
it mas sprung, it now draws them
ready made from the sap of its
hosts. This is the third step in the
DOWN. ard course. Why should
man toll all day for a dollar when
he can make ten at game Of cards
or throw OF dice. Work is drudgery.
The clerk now puts his mind not on
his employ er's business or how he
may develop hi, interests, or put
more money in his till. but how can
he trudgc, half asleep through the
day and get enough money out Of
that till 10 start anew the game at
night. Soon he either loses his
phase RI his employer loses his bus
mess and he i~out on the street. He
is wcll-drcs-cd. People ask where
he is employed. He is gentleman
Of lcis urc. He has money. Where
docs he get it: 1t slowly leaks out
that he is a gambler. He lives by
lis wits. He Is parasite, He
lives not for others, but on others.
No use to try I" stop him now. He
hides and sk lis around to cvaae
til. officers OF the law. who are
sometimes paid to leave him alone
while he shears the lambs and
hcecc- the old sheep.
). The Doddcr drops into de-
graded state. a, the plant does
not exercise its organs Of nutrition
its roots drop off. it is without a
twi@. without a leaf and only a use
less stem left that will not bear its
own weight, To the eye Of science
its sin is written in the plainest
on its very organiza-
ton. 1t has suffered to the extent
that ii has lilchcd from an external
force. Instead OF being a perfect
plant If has allowed certain impor-
tant parts Of its body todeteriorate.
And several vital organs are par
TALLY or wholly atrophicd. This is
as perfect parallel of the gambler
as can be drawn, Sin is written