The morning news., 1899-09-04
GAMBLING EVIL WIDE SPREAD.
REV. BAsCOM ANTHONY ON THE SIT
UATION AS HE HAS SEEN 1T.

and the Whole Community satur-
ated with the Gambling Spirit.
white Women and Girls Buy Pol
icy Tickets From Negro Dealers.
Keno Rooms in Full Blast for
WOrIxIngmen and BOys-The Laws
Are Ample for the suppression of
the EVIL and the Fault Lies with
the Observation-Disclosures visited the
Keno RoOms-InstaIIment Houses
Touched Up-An Example of EN-
tOrtion Worse Than Gambling.
There was no rain last night, and Rev.
Bascom Anthony delivered his sermon
upon gambling, which was postponed on
the previous two Sunday nights on ac-
count of the weather. There was large
congregation at Trinity Charch and the
sermon was listened to with the closest
interest, and. doubtless, with approval
Rev. Mr. Anthony's sermon was not
sensational harangue, nor could it be
construed as an attack upon the officials,
either of the courts or the city. 1t was
simply a plain discussion of the evils OF
gambling and the conditions which pre-
vail in Savannah ana the means by which
the evil should be corrected. Mr.. An
thony criticised the officials of the courts
and the city indirectly by stating the
provisions made by the laws especially
for the prevention and punishment OF
gambling and the duties of officers in this
connection, and commenting upon the
fact that laws which are amply sufficient
in themselves to accomplish the end in
tended have failed in effect in Savan-
nah.
The text was from Second Corinthians,
eighth chapter and twenty-frst verse:
Providing for honest things, not only In
the sight of the Lord. but also in the
sight of men" He commented upon the
meaning of the word honest and said that
there are two classes of things which fail
to meet the requirements OF the word.
One class gives no return for things re-
ceived. The other gives a pernicious or
only a partial return. Under the first
head he classed gambling and theft. Gam
bling, he said while not so heinous a
crime as theft exceeds il in moral tur-
pitude because of it's more degrading ef-
feet upon society. Under the head Of those
things which gives n pernicious return
he included the entire liquor business.
InstaIlment House ExtOrtiOn.
Under that which gives only a partial
return he classed so-called business sa-
gacity shrewdness and trickery. which
takes advantage of the ignorance of 9TH
ers to make only partial return for the
value received. In illustration of his
meaning upon this point, MIR Anthony
gave an instance of a poor woman whom
he knew, who found it necessary TO fit up
her house. She paid $50 in partial pay
ments for a set of furniture, he said,
which he could have bought for $40 to $25.
'"The worst gambler in Savannah is
Christian gentleman beside the man who
was guilty of this piece of sharp dealing"
said Mr.. Anthony. 1t is as unjust for the
strong mind to take advantage of the
weaker intellect as il is for the strong
man to make a brutal assault upon
weaker brother"
AS to gambling, Mr.. Anthony said he
was unable 20 decide whether its basis is
the excitement which il affords or the
principle in human ns ture which seeks to
obtain something for nothing. Gambling
is a well nigh universal sin and very an
cient one, he said. II prevailed in ancient
Rome and in all civilized countries since
that time. Statutes were enacted against
gambling in Rome IN England in the time
OF Henry VIII. based, however. upon the
practical idea that its effect was injurious
90 the citizen.
"An civilized countries" the preacher
said, have protested against gambling
and have enacted laws against It, Geor-
gia has enacted such laws as it was
business. The statutes sufficiently
rigorous. They are hard and difficult to
avoid where earnest effort is made to en-
force them. These statutes are partly
based on he practical grounds that the
gambler IS a taker and not a gver. He
adds nothing TO the wealth of the com
munity, but exists upon The earnings of
others, and is. therefore. a parasite upon
the community Another ground for such
legislation is that it disqualifes men for
business, by making them dissatisfied with
the moderate gains of ordinary traffic and
fills them with the desire for large re-
turns on small risks and thereby perverts
and corrupts the streams of commerce.
Turn Among Policy shops.
Mr.. Anthony said that he was much
surprised at the revelations made in the
newspapers recently as to the extent OF
the gambling evil in this city While a
considerable number of people were doubt
less well aware of the true state of af-
fairs, the bulk of the population
was in ignorance as to the
truth of the matter. ''rhe news
papers have dealt with The subject
in a manly way" he said. "They have
stated facts plainly and have disclosed
enough TO show that we are living in
what is known as a wde-open town"
4 Wide Open Town.
Mr.. Anthony said that he had recently
talked with a policeman from another
city, who was in Savannah on a visit,
md who told him that this city is wider
open than any place he had ever visited.
A gentleman who had Travelled a great
deal told him that he had formerly con-
eidered New Orleans the most w.de-open
town in the country, but from what he
had seen here, he believed that Savannah
had gone New Orleans a few points bet
ter.
The newspapers have stated, Mr.. An
thony said that there are several hundred
policy shops in the city. He had known
already that there were a good many,
but he had no idea that the number was
so large. He knew of their existence
from personal observation. While on
Huntingdon street, west of West Broad,
some time ago. he said he saw a respect
able looking well dressed white woman
come out of a small house. Thinking that
perhaps there was some one sick there