The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-07-06

idents Of the Unitea States kept an
account in his own handwriting OF
gains and losses at playing cards
ON one page the gains and on the
other the losses, and there are many
pages. In other days many Of ma
tional reputation went from the halls
OF congress and the senate chamber
TO spend the night in notorious gam
hing saloons. One Of the ablest men
ii tue centuries, Charles Fox, got
ready for his speech against The
Petition Of the Clergy" by spending
- hours at the ~ganAbnag table. IrV.
ings Fife Of Oliver Goldsmith says
that the great poet lost $50, all his
earnings, in a short tour 10 see the
world. Gihbon, the author Of The
Dec1ne and Fall of the Roman En-
pire," came To his own decline and
fall through gaming practices and
in a letter in l556 said: Il have un-
done myself, and il IS TO no purpose
to conceal from you my abominab BILE
madness and folly, I have never lost
so much IN i've days as l have to-
night, and I am in debt to the house
for the whole. f.,
BOt while you are hot'y indignant
against the crime, how do you feel
about those who were heeeed and
slain? They did not know that their
small boat was so near the maelstrom.
Some of them were born with a tend
ency TO recklessness and experiment
and hazard. They inherited a DISPOSE
-tion to tempt chance. DO not heap
on them additional disbursements;
do not deride their losses. Help them
10 start again. Show them that there
are more fortunes yet to be gained
than have Yet been gathered and that
with God for their friend they will he
provided for her and through the Sa-
viour's mercy they may reign forever
in the land where there are no losses
and infinite gains. While you NAV red
den IN the face az The fact that gam
bling is the ~diSgraceful mother of
m~ultitudinous crimes. of envies. ieai-
ousles. revenge, ouarrels, cruelties, (
falsehoods, forgeries, suicides, muir .
ders and despair, be careful what
say OF the victim OF the vice and what
you do. He needs more sympathy than
the man who came up from inebriety |
and debauch and assassination, for
many such repent and are saved, but
confirmed gamblers hardly ever re-
form.
Durincthe course faprolonged min
have seen thousands redeemed.
many Of them who were clear gone in
SIN, by Almighty grace rescued. In
all parts of this land and in some parts
OF other lands I have seen those who
were given mp as incorrigible and lost
recovered for God and Heaven. but
how many confirmed gamblers have ]
seen converted from their evil waysp
\ thousand? No. Five hundred? No.
No. Two? No. One? No.
read in a book of one such rescued.
have no doubt there have been other
eases, but no evil does It's work so
thoroughly and %eternally as gambling.
such almost hopeless OF reformation
ought 10 call forth from you deeper
'ympatny than you feel fer any other
unfortunate. Pity by all means. for
hose who. shipwrecked and bruised
among the timbers, have nevertheless
up TO the fisherman's cabin
and found warmth and shelter. hut
pity for those who never reach
'hore. but are dashed to death in the
breakers. Be angry at the sin, but
'ympathize with its victims.
One act ofsfraud told of in big head
ines in the morning papers rightfuuv
the nations wrath. Ii ia the
interest Of every good man and good
Woman who reads Of the crime to have
I exposed and punished. Let it 90 nm
and you put a premium on
raud, you depress public morals. Won
induce those who are on the fence he
ween right and wrong to get down Dn
he wrong side, and you put the busi-
less Of the world on a down grade.
he constabulary and penitentiarv
must do their work. Rnt while the
and the goddess cry: DGood
HIM" IL am glad he is within the
rison DOORS" be II your work TO find
ut If that mar is worth saving and
mai were the causes of his moral
verthrow. Perhaps he started in
nsiness life under a tricky firm, who :
ave him wrong notions of business
integrity; perhaps there was a combi-
anon OF circumstance almost I'M
for temptation: perbaps
mere were alterations; perhaps he
'aS born wrong and never got over IL.
erhaps ne did not realize what he was
and if you are q merciful man
GU VIII think of other perhapses
inch, though they may not excuse. :
'!ii extenuate. Perhaps he has al
eady repented and is washed in the
OF the Lamb, and is as sure Of
.eaVen as you are. What an opportu- +.
ny you have for obeying my text. !
on were angry at the misdemapor. I
VI you are hopeful for the recovery I
J the recalcitrant. Bic all prison {
eiormers! Blessed are those poy-
rnors and presidents who are glad I