The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-03-01
A Scathing Indictment.

AT mass meeting in the Second
Presbyterian church, Portsmouth, o.,
on recent Sabbath afternoon, in the
presence of over two hundred men, a
converted gambler and eX-saloon-
keeper made the following state
ment, which has created profound
1t TO your paper that it may do good
in wider sphere:
II have been in the saloon bust
ness, with gambling room attach
ed, for the last four years, and claim
70 know something about what L am
now going to tell you. do not be-
tleve that the gambling den is nearly
so dangerous, nor does it do any
thing like the same amount of harm,
as the social card party in the home.
| give this as my reason: In the
gambling-room the windows are
closed tight, and the curtains are
pulled down; everything is conduct
ed secretly for fear of detection, and
none but gamblers, as a rule, enter
there; while in the parlor all have
access to the gamt children are per-
mitted to watch it, young people are
invited to partake in it. 1t is made
attractive and alluring by giving
prizes, serving refreshments and
aiding high social enjOyments. For
my part, | never could see the diffeI-
ence between playing for piece of
silver nodded in the shape of money
and silver nodded in the shape of
cup or thimble. The principle is
the same, and whenever property
changes hands over the luck of the
cards, no matter how small is the
value of the prize, 1 believe it is
gambling. Have you ever thought
of II? Where do all the gamblers
come from? They are not taught in
the gambling dens. A 'greener,' I'M
less he is fool, never enters gamh-
ling hell because he knows that he will
be fleeced out of everything he pos
sesses in less than fifteen minutes.
He has learned somewhere else be-
fore he sets foot inside OF such a
place. When he has played In the
parlor, 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 gambling-room, for he
has learned, and now counts upon
his efficie ncy to hold his own. The
saloon men aud gamblers chuckle
and smile when they read in the
papers of the parlor games given by
the ladies, for they know that after
awhile these same men will become
the patrons of their business. | say,
then, the parlor game is the college
wnere gamblers are made and edu-
Gated. In the name of God, men,
stop this business in your homes
Burn up your decks and wash your
| hands.
After he had taken his seat another
converted ex-gambler, who led the
mems meeting in the Second Pres
byterian church the following Sab
both, arose and said: II indorse
every word which the brother before
me nas just uttered. 1 was a
gambler. | learned to play cards,
not in the saloon, not in my own
home, but in the homes of my young
friends, who invited me to play with
them and taught me how"
Isend you these testimonies, hop
ing that on can use them, and that
God will sound through them a note
of warning to card-playing Chris
ians. A number of men went home
from that after noon meeting and set
up new rule in their families, that
never should another game be
played inside their house; that their
parlors should not become kinder
gartens for training young gamblers.
christian Observer.