The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-31
He breaches the Fourth Sermon of n
Series on Moral Lessons from
the Police Court"
SPECIFIC INSTANCES CITED
RECENT CASES THAT HAVE COME TO
LIGHT IN POLICE COURT.
lain Made tha his City Is Honey
combed with Various Forms of
G~aming-The Lessons.

the fourth of his series Of sermons on
Moral Lessons Revealed by the Police
Court" His specific subject was Gam
bling" Extra seats were provided and.
in addition to the unusually large audience,
the Police Court officials were present. The
preacher said:
THAT gambling is a dangerous vice, af-
fecting not only the individual, but society,
as we'll, is not only a recognized fact 10
every moralist. but is so pronounced by the
law, which declares in no uncertain terms
against 1t. And yet how few people under
stand its far-reaching and perniciouS ef-
fects? Now and then. when a raid is made
upon some gambling den, attention is
called TO its alarming prevalency, or when
some bank cashier. having lost his own
money in stock gambling, purloins from
the bank and, having lost that, in an effort
to recoup his losses, commits suicide, a
SpaSm of virtuouS sentiment agitates the
community. When these periodical spasms
occur the gambling fraternity remains un-
der cover until it is over and then resumes
business at the old stand until another
time of agitation comes. The community
needs waking up to the fact that the need
of the hour is not a sentimental set of reso-
buttons upon this subject. but a steady,
powerful current of moral influence, eter-
nal vigilance and continual agitation.
How few have studied the many evils
arising from this vice and their far-reach-
ing influence? To gamble is to play a game
of any description for stakes. Simpliied; 1t
means the getting of something Of value
- uAAC1hlNaDAt sam IL @
the growing richer, If possible. by making
others poorer; the fattening of the hopes
of one by drinking the life-blood from the
hopes of the other. 1t is a principle of po-
litical economy that every dollar repre-
sents so much laJor. Otherwise it has a
fictitious value. This science recognizes
the necessity of exchange among men upon
an equitable basis. Back of this exchange
stands labor which affixes valuation to com
modities. For example, the same labor
which Will produce an ounce OF gold Will
produce a thousand pounds of iron. The
gold miner finds that he has need of iron
and offers to exchange labor for labor, an
ounce of gold, for a thousand pounds OF
iron. This is an equitable exchange. in
which the benefit is mutual. Both common
honesty and political economy demand that
every benefit he mutual. Weighed by this
just standard, every act which accrues to
the advancement of one man to the detri-
ment of another is a wrongful act. To
obtain something of value for nothing in a
game of chance. or even skill. where the
other party suffers loss i'm proportion To
the gain, is immoral, contrary to the laws
of political economy and a violation OF the
statutes of the State.
RIGHTS OF OTHERS.
ut is another w~ell-founded principle of
law that no man has the right to inter-
fere with the rights of others. Human
rights is a sacred subject. On that is
founded the tranquility and security of
citizenship. The law throws its protecting
arm around every home and says to the
weakest member of the household, Your
rights are just as sacred as the rights of
the most powerful member Of society
Coupled with that law is the moral obliga-
ton every father owes to his family.
Back of the gamester stands his wife and
helpless children. He is. in the law, their
provider. and they have a right, both moral
and legal, To look TO him for ~sustenance.
His losses at the gaming table take from
their mouths bread and shoes from their
feet, and the winner of what represents
I those ND fE in tho nxraE - H. .AA-al
law. their robber, for on every dollar they
have a just claim. The wife's right is that
or a partner, and not a silent one. by any
means, and the children that of depend
ency, which. under Gods law, is of fearful
responsibility to the heads of the home.
This thing of seeking to obtain the prop
erty OF others without rendering an equiva-
lent for IL leads to an innumerable train of
evils. There is no question but what pro-
fessionai gamblers have a code of their
own. which Is vigorously kept. One ele-
menJary principle of that code is that ev-
cry player must keep his word. But the
descent of men engaged in this business is
TO tremendous depths of gloom and sin.
Even among the best of gamblers ii is con-
sidered legitimate TO take advantage of
each other In every possible way: Mason
Long, who for years made his living at
this business. testifes that this is held to
be part of the trade. The consequences are
that men lend themselves to shrewd
schemes of trickery by which they are
enabled to rob the unsuspecting. The tes-
timony IN the gambling cases tried at Vim
CeHHeS, III WHICH Banker Davis is suing to
recover moneys lost in the gambling hells
at Washington, is to the effect that loaded
dice were used and all manner of ingenious
contrivances were invented to give the
proprietor of the place such an advantage
as to make his winnings sure.
Another principle, enforced by eternal
justice, is that money illegally got never
brings a blessing with it and rarely stays.
OF your acquaintances how many gamblers
have died wealthy? On the other hand.
what a multitude have gone out of the
world in abject poverty! How many have
drawn large prizes in lottery schemes
where the money did them any good and
where they kept il for any length of time?
1t is the rule that while the goddess of
fortune apparently smiles upon the gam
he, promises of a rosy future, she is at the
same time stealing from him his morals.
his energy and ZeSt for honest work and
substituting in his very nature idleness.
dishonesty and prohigacy of the worst
type,
bling as seen in the more unfortunate?
How many young men have been left COM
Portable fortunes by fond parents-sufh-
cient. by a little good management, to have
eventually made them ndependent-who
under the fascination of the gambling ia
BILE, have sq%uandered it all and become
disreputable tramps or else filled paupers'
scattered up and down over the country,
sad-eyed and socially Inundated. whose
children have exchanged the music OF
laughter for the dismal chant of misery?
A DANGEROUS FASCINATION.
Somehow there is a dangerous fascina-
ton about the business, like the fascination
of a serpent which charms before he
strikes with poisonous fangs. There is al
ways the possibility of winning the next
time, and upon this possibility men risk
everything. Some have even wagered their
innocent wives on the turn of a card.
Some are so far gone that they would
stake their souls salvation upon the result
OF a game. Shakespeare says: Keep a
gamester from the dice and a good student
from his books. and il is wonderful
1T is an apparently harsh statement to
make. but II is nevertheless true, that
gamesters become ENTHUSIASTICALLY. II the
gambling fever is upon him, and he holds
a position or trust. while he may intend
10 deal honestly with his employers. the
temptation TO recover his losses is great.
He thinks that he can borrow over night
and II successful at the game can repay
Scores OF fallen bank officials and treas
urers of other institutions testify 20 the
ultimate failure Of this plan and conse-
quent disgrace. Here in this city. In the
Police Court, during the trial OF the gam
young man was upon the witness stand
who testified to his losses there. During
his examination IL was brought out in evil
dence that at that time ne was under in
dictment from the Criminal Court for
forgery. While engaged in gambling he
was in the employment Of a large whole
sale house OF this city. The deduction is
plain. Napoleon / understood this and al
ways manifested the strongest disapproVal