News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-10-01
A Protest Against Gambling at Fairs.
September 26, 1902.

EDITOR OF News AND CITIZEN =
After several weeks spent in your
county, am leaving today; but before
doing so, l desire to record my appre-
citation of the frank hospitality of your
kindly people, and to remark that the
villages of Morrisville and Hyde Park
are two of the prettiest towns it has
been my pleasure to see. have noted
the exceeding great cleanliness of your
streets, the we'll kept lawns, the neat
ness and beauty of your residences and
many places of worship, and have fire.
uuently remarked that cleanliness seems
to be the paramount virtue OF your peo-
pie and your communities.
Having these impressions of you and
your people strongly impressed upon
me, l attended your County Fair on
Wednesday, at which place my impress.
sions received a staggering blow, as |
found that the main attractions and
amusements provided for the people
consisted of score of gambling games,
any one of which, played openly i'll any
village or town in your State, would
place the proprietors in Jail instantly.
Although l have lived some forty
years and travelled in many States,
both North and South; haZs atta1l I'D
all the great exhibitions Rrious DIT
les, have been to scores ofJD19lgsrss other
places, where the attendance was nearly
10, 900, never before have 1 seen gam
blers in charge as at your Fair, where
the money was taken from the pockets
of patrons, giving them nothing in re-
turn. Did say nothing mistake,
as many young men had the passion for
gambling aroused, by being allowed to
win paltry sum and then be heeced
out of larger amounts; and who can say
what the end will be?
| For allowing the patrons to be fleeced,
the Fair authorities have received, lie,
us say $500, and for this sum they place
in jeopardy the souls of 1000 young men
thus placing on an immortal soul the
value of fifty cents
Ministers and pastors of Lamo1llt
County, have denunciations gone forth
from your pulpits on this matter? Yor
who have spent months and years II
endeavoring to save one of these souls
what think you of the price placed OF
them If you have failed to denounc'
this iniquity, how can protest be expect
ed from others?
Mothers and fathers, you who hav
stood over the cradles and cots of you
loved ones, and in an agony of soul sen
out petitions for their recovery-wha
think you of this matter? You hav
endeavored to bring up your loved one
to be good citizens; to follow tn
straight and narrow way, and will yo
: now submit to having this CONTAINING
j ting influence placed before them an
, have your boys solicited to gamble, an
to do it thus openly? If not, why ha
no protest gone forth?
1t would be idle for me to go furthe
into the matter, as you know the deba'
ing influence of this terrible pastlme
. and that it is a prison offence in an
state, city or town in this great nation
{ and a blot upon any community whic
y allows it to hold forth its head. Siam
\ it out as you would scourge, as Il
, epidemic has ever destroyed the numbt
Of souls as has the passion for gambling
Let not this iniquity stain the ia
= name of your county, and with its d
t basing influence overcome and destrc
r in few days, all the ideals which yo
+ have by years of labor set up for yo'
Y children, as it is a monster with mar
v heads, and strikes when least expecte
| PARENT.