New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-03-11

GAMBLING IN HIGH LIFE.
DR.. HUNTINGTON CALLS THINGS CON
NECTED WITH 1T INFAMOUS IN
TALKING To THE NEW
ENGLAND SOCIETY.
ENGLAND SOCIETY.

Nearly all the members of the New-England
Society of New-York attended special service
in Grace Church yesterday afternoon and list
ened to a sermon by the Rev. DR.. William r.
Huntington From the pillars of the church
hung silken banners bearing the coats of arms
of the various New England States. and the
walls were festooned with New-England frs
William Z. Dodge. the president of the society.
read the lesson for the day. DR.. Huntingtons
sermon was THE Puritan Strain" Speaking
of the Purltans and the Anglicans he said
There WILL however, certainly be conceded TO
me the privilege Of bearing witness to the large
ness of the debt which AEglicanism owes TO In
dependency. The Church of England is to-day
turning to the United States for counsel as TO
the best way of securing lay representation in
its synods. But who supposes that the Amerl-
can Episcopal Church would at this present time
have any testimony to give on the subject, had
not Puritan precept and example moved 1T 10
make a lay veto a leading feature of its bill
of rights?
The ingredient most central to the Puritan
character, and the one most creditable to it, L
conceive to have been the spirit of discipline.
These men reverenced law. In these days we
scoh at discipline and will have none of It,
The day for that sort of thing has gone by, we
say.
The of this society in full is the New
England Society OF the City of New-York. This
in itself is suggestive. How is IL justifying It's
corporate existence? Has it duty to that
larger society Of which 1t forms part. beyond
the obligation TO hold an annual feast, and
when it has eaten and is full listen to the pleas
ant things that may be said to it by its friends?
venture to affirm that This organization has
a graver duty and more sacred call Who can
doubt that for the cleansing and for the sweet
ening both of the civic and the social life of
New-York the New-England Society. with it's
fourteen hundred fifteen hundred members.
might do wonders if it would? vigilance COM
nittee? Why. here is at hand. And there
is need of vigilance sore need You start at my
speaking of the social life of the city calling
for renewal, but it is so. When women are dis
cussing in their clubs, What are the limits of
| bod
by vote is that there is asSignabe limit save
that imposed by income, is it not time to call
halt? And what are these stories that we near
about the spread of uncomfortable passion
for gambling? Is it possible that there are lead
ers Of society who lend their countenance to
/ forms of amusement that are against the very
/ law of the land?
1t may be hard to frame an argument against
/ gambling that will hold in logic, but ship
! wrecked lives speak louder than any sylogism-
| 1t is not necessary to be able to diagnose a
| disease in order to suffer from its ravages- Is
! f. true that hostesses are found in fashionable
/ life who will let young men whose honesty is
! their capital depart impoverished by losses at
cards out of the drawing rooms into which
! they have themselves invited them as guests?
If II be true, cry, Shame, Is 1t true that young
women, reputed to be Of good family and hon.
! est bringing up, exhibit with pride the Jewels
bought out of the profits of the gaming table?
/ Could anything be more vulgar than such acts
/ as these? Nay, that is a feeble word-could
/ anything be Infamous? What avails a
/ crusade against policy shops and poolrooms.
whether by five. fifteen fifty, If behind doors
which no detective ventures to pass such things
| as these go on? No need of the spirit of dis
| cipline? What then is to become Of society?
! With Sunday lapsing into mere tradition:
/ with the day which New-England mystic, not
| overfriendly to Christianity. made bold to call
| the backbone of our civilization turned by
common consent from holy day TO holiday.
and with marriage, the cornerstone of the
| family life which in its turn is the cornerstone
| of the state, with holy wedlock degenerating
/ into a mere fast and loose contract, who shall
say that the call for revival OF the spirit of dis
| ciplIne is i'll timed?
Why do I draw my illustrations from the life
/ OF women rather thon men? Simply for the
/ reason that in Christian landS-and nowhere
/ more conspicuously than in the United States
women the cust0dians Of morals Here.
| however it may be elsewhere. men are largely
what the influence of women makes them and
the rapidly the men desert public worship.
substituting the club and the lodge for the house
| OF prayer, the more Is this supremacy OF woman
/ as the pTiestess of sacred interests and the ar
bitter of conduct accentuated and defined.