Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-01-15
.s.ss.sssstss ssstJs Js.sssItStstS'
- A Preacher ;,
= Among the People. ;.
LAYING CARDS IN THE NAME
CHARITY.

An ancient preacher is reported as
saying: "The thing that hath been
Is that which shall be; and that which
is done is that which shall be done;
and there is no new thing under the
sun"
1 wonder il the good ladies OF his
time met at stated times to play cards
in the name of charity. Whether they
did or not, presume Uhose who con-
tend for the literal truth OF all Bible
statements would argue that the ladies
of ancient times did seek amusement
and If there is now anything new con-
cerning the matter ii is to be found In
the form. and not the substance. Such
a proposition take 1t could easily be
sustained. ! have no desire to crltl-
else by making comparisons that
might be odious, nor to oensure a few
good people who choose to suspend
card playing for minute while they
take up a collection for thepoOr. Their
method is as comendable rs many
that have been adopted TO raise money
to carry on the work of the church.
The serious question to be consider
ed now is whether or not our whole
system of charity work is not SO for
mulated as to do, in the end, more
harm than good. If the game can be
suspended long enough to discuss this
matter seriously, am sure good will
be the result.
But that is not the matter about
wh.cn l set out to write. When the
preacher first began his excursions
among the people he resolved to stick
to facts and principles, allowing the
people to point their own morals and
do their own preaching. The force of
nabit, however, is so strong that after
weeks of self-restraint he has yielded
to the ever-present temptation to de-
liver a little homily to the people of
Marietta ON the question of amuse-
ments.
There is much concern in certain
quarters among good people of the
towl concerning this vital matter.
And l grant that their words of warn
ing and lament are not spoken with
out cause. 1t is coming to be a rare
thing now to see local daily paper in
which there does not appear a notice
that somebody has been entertaining
somebody else at cards, or that music
and dancing has been or will be in
some one of the dancing halls of the
city The theatre may not be as well
patronizeu as the managers who have
pocket books to consider would like
10 see it; but it is much better patro-
nlzed than some who are interested in
The morals of the town think it should
be. 1t is a hard matter to please ev-
erbody.
However, pleasing everybody is not
the important matter that have in
mind just now. l am seeking every
Oody's good, and that is not always
pleasing to the beneficaries. never
knew man to be pleased over the
prospects of having tooth pulled;
but l have known cases where that
was the very thing that needed to be
done. Now, no matter what their de-
slres, what the people need to do is to
stop dancing, card playing and thea
tire going. Stop short and in such a
way that everybody will know they
nave stopped. Then let them persist
in self-denial for a whole day; put on
uheir thinking caps and try to discern
what is likely to be the outcome OF our
present unrestrained indulgence.
We are in a dangerous period of our
history. One extreme begets another.
The Cromwellian regime in England
was followed by period of license
that should warn anyone against in
stituting the Puritan code unless he is
sure 1t can be maintained.
Marietta has had large measure of
chat code in the past and now the re-
action is upon us. In this fact is to
De found our danger. If we are not
careful we will repeat on a small scale
the experiences of England after the
restoration. Let us beware. l am
not opposed to amusements. Nor am
opposed to ice cream; but | know a
community cannot live on it. l am not
opposed to card playing per Sc. But
do not believe that any one can per-
form the duties of life as husband,
wife, father, mother, young man or
young woman and play cards six after
Moons week. | would make an excep-
lion of old people whose life work Is
done. If they want to
meet at each others homes and play
every day in the week It need not nee
essarily be harmful and l am sure it
Is better than to sit around and get
as | have known some who
look upon cards as an invention OF the
Devil to do. We need to learn con-
sistency. Another mans sin may
differ from mine in kind; but before l
condemn him too mercilessly should
make sure that 1t is as degrading in
its effects.
knew man who would have gone
TO the other side of road had playing
card been thrown in his way; but he
did not hesitate to nurse a church
quarrel until 1t set the whole commun-