The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-26
GAMBLING in THE CITY
THE PRONOUNCENENT OF A WEST
INDIANAPOLIS PASTOR.
Rev. A. c. Protsman Does Not Mfnce
Words-At Roberts ~Park-Other
Church Services.

Rev. A. c. Protsman preached on "Gam-
bling in Indianapolis at the River-avenue
Baptist Church, West Indianapolis. last
night. He first refuted the statement that
had been made from the pulpit that In
~dianapolis is a well-governed city and that
there is no more lawlessness in any one
direction than in other cities. Rev. Prots-
mar said the laws are being continually
and daily violated and that gambling and
vice are rampant. He said:
There is gambling in Indianapolis. There
Is gambling here in West Indianapolis.
There are young men in West indianapolis
who spend Sunday afternoons in gambling.
and only this afternoon / met young men
who, from their conversation, were on
their way to a gambling game. There is
even gambling in the churches. How often
do we see advertised that such and such
speculative scheme where something is
draw through a lottery plan or sold to
the highest bidder. 1t is gambling only
under another form. There are rooms in
West Indianapolis where young men sit on
the Sabbath and gamble. Where those
rooms are I do not know. but do know
that they exist, for 1 have heard men talk
ing about who won so much money or who
lost so much money. There are men in
indianapolis who spend their entire time
at the gambling table. while their wives
and families are destitute. Gambling is
depraving. 1t destroys the mind for bust
ness pursuits, 1t destroys the talent, 1t de-
stroys everything that is good in man.
AN APPEAL.
There are very few saloons In Indianap-
ollie fbot axo r4<
games or devices run i'm connection with
them. Young man. I appeal to you. Your
gambling Is running toward the saloon.
The gambling room is a feeder to the
saloon. Young men learn to gamble some
times at the social card table at home.
Then they spend their Sunday afternoons
playing for money. The desire for gain
Is there created, the next step is to the
saloon, where they learn to drink. and then
they become total wrecks. l saw this very
condition does exist in indianapolis. As
you pass along the street you hear men
talk about gambling. They speak Of this
much about in the papers since investiga-
ton began. You hear them latiding some
notorious character who has made a big
winning; you are surrounded with a con-
versation on gambling. l repeat that gam
bling does exist in Indianapolis. and to a
great extent.
is there any good in it? Did you ever
near OF IT sustaining one act of charity.
speak one word of kindness. bind up one
wound? No. There is no good in II, and It
leads TO crime and ruins many. Sometimes
We are surprised to hear that some young
man who is a clerk or bookkeeper becom-
ing a defaulter or forger, and almost in
varfably you will find that he started on
his downward career by gambling I'm a
small way-just such gambling as is being
done In this city every Sunday afternoon.
M 1hnf faNnr fnr
session of a young man Ii units him for
active business. 1t is an ideal that cannot
enter with upright business when IL be-
comes instilled into the heart and mind,
n cannot harmonic with the home that
should be loved and protected. Yet this
thing, so simple and vile, has taken its
strong hold on the city, and on West In
dianapolis.
TO Z RID OF 1T.
"How are We going to get rid of gam
bling? Can we get rid of gambling? be-
lieve we can. 1t lies with the church and
Christian people to go forth and rescue
these young men who are being led on
toward destruction and ruin. Ii is their
duty to purge the city of this vice, and it
is in their power. BY reaching out in a
practical way to rescue the fallen we can
establish a higher plane of living. An hon
est effort on your part will accomplish
wonderful results and the victory will be
won.
Then there is another way-by the en-
forcement of the laws. There are laws
against gambling. Why are they not en-
forced? 1t is because we do not demand
that they be enforced. 1t is because we
do not attend the primaries and vote for
men who will pledge themselves to en-
force the law. Indianapolis can get such a
government IL we try it. The politician
and office seeker goes into the darkest and
yilpSt DlaCpS in the city tn ger his votes
for the price of a drink. Have you no
ticed the pleas Of these men to the lower
classes and their pledges to the saloon
and gambling element for the sake of Of
fee? Yes. We have all noticed them, and
yet we blindly go on and cast our votes
for these men. L say that gambling does
exist, and to a great extent, in Indian
apolis. and unless we cut free from this
state of lethargy and demand that the
laws be enforced there is no hope of re-
demption."