Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-03-28
COMMUNICATED.
A sCATHING INDICTMENT.
rBy Rev. s. B. Alderson, D. d.


At 4 mass meeting la the Second
Presbyterian Church, Portsmouth, 0 ,
a recent Sabbath afternoon, 10 the pres
ence of over two hundred men, con-
yerted gambler and ex-saloonkeeper
made the following statement, which
has created a profound impression, and
I herewith transmit 1t to your paper
that il NAV 90 good in a wider sphere ;
II b we been in the saloon business,
with gambling room attached. for the
last four years, and claim to know
something about what am now going
to tell you. / do not believe that the
gambling den Is nearly 30 dangerous,
nor does it do anything like the same
amount of harm ss the social card par
ty in the home. Igive this as roy rea-
son: Ia the gambling room the win
dows are closed tight, the curtains are
pulled dowp; everything Is conducted
secretly for fear Of detection, and none
but gamblers, as arule, enter there I;
while in the psrlors all have access to
the game, children are permitted to
watch it, young people are invited to
partake In it. 1t Is made attractive and
sIIuring by giving prizes, serving re-
freshmenis and adding high social en-
ioyments. For my part, never could
see the difference between playing for q
pi CO Of silver nodded 10 the shape OF
N oney and silver nodded in the shspe
of a cup or q thimble. The principle is
he same, end whenever property
hinges hands over the luck OF the
cards, no matter how small is the value
OF tbs Or r., / believe it is gambling
Have you ever thought OF II? Where
DO all the gamblers come from? They
are not taught 10 the gambling dens. A
'ereener,' unless be is q fool, never en-
ters a gambling bt because he knows
that he will be heeced out OF every
thing be possesses in less than fifteen
minutes. He has learned somewhere
else before he sets foot inside OF such q
place. When he has payed 10 the
oarlor, in the social game OF the home,
and has become proficient enough to
win prizes among his friends, the next
step with him is to seek out the gam
bling room, for he has learned, and now
counts upon his efficiency to hold bis
own. Tue saloon men and gamblers
chuckle and tm'le when they read in
the papers of the psrlor games glveo
by the ladies, for they know that after
A while these same men will become
the patrons of their business. / say,
then, the psrlor game is the college
where gsmblers are IN ade and educated.
10 ths name of God, men, stop this
business 10 your homes. Burn up your
&c cks and wash your hands.
After taking bis seat another convert
ed ex-gambler, who led the mems meet.
ing in the Second Presbyterian Church
the following Sabbath, arose and said
II indorse every word which the
brother before me has just uttered.
was q gsmble / learned to play cards
not 10 the saloon, not in my own home
but in the homes of my young friends
who invited me to play with them ant
taught me how"
| send you these testimonies, hopint
that you can use them, and that Goo
will sound through them note OF warn
ing to card playing Christians. A mum
Der OF men went home from that after
noon meeting and set up new rule II
the families, that never should another
game be played inside their house; tina
their parlors should not become kinder
Qsrtens for training young gam lers.-
From the c lristisn Observer of Feb
1uary 6, 1901, published at Lexington
| Ku