Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-10-23

Deadly Foe OF True sport.
Now. my friends. I protest against
this all pervading gambling infamy. |
protest because IL is not respectable FOR
me to go and participate in some OF
these outdoor sports which are essen
tial for mental .Dd physical relaxation.
l protest against this gambling infamy
degrading the football field ard the
baseball diamond because there Is moth
ing wrong In such games in themselves.
but only as the gamblers evil genius
has made them wrong. | protest, as
Robert L. Spear. the Princeton ath-
lete. protested in his Frank Talk
About Gambling and Betting" 1T is
the contention" he wrote. that betting
money Is sportsmauiike. The very re-
verse Is true. II IL this that introduces
professionalism into college sports.
When men stake money they are will
ing to do dishonorable things to shape
the result SO that they will win. The
Introduction Of money Is fatal. Bet
ting is the deadly foe of true sport"
IL you have any doubt about the
truth OF this sweeping statement you
can easily verify il by going TO some
college town after any great athletic
contest. The inebriety you will witness
on Its streets IL disgusting.
But there Is another reason why /
denounce defiant gambling. This evil
mania leads its victims to squander
other peoples money as well as their
own. Now, am not abiding to the
poor. half crnzed clerk who will steal
from his employer In order to bet on
the races. ! nm not abiding to the
poor servant girl who opens her mis-
tress' poeketbook in order TO take out
nifty cent piece to squander Il In a
policy shop. or TO the bank president
who. as trustee Of an estate. criminally
sinks in wildcat speculations the mon
ey Entrusted to bis care. They are
criminals. and they know II. But /
am abiding to those who think they
are wagering only that money which
Is theirs by right. NWs s..l
, PIT of Eternal Woe,
Young man, you say that you own
your own money and have a right to
10 with 1t as you will. No. you have
not. Where did you get that money I?
oh" you say, father left II to me In
bis WILL" For what did he leave It to
your Did he not leave II rs a trust?
Did he not leave it to you In order
that you with II could continue to
spread abroad his Christian influence?
Money Is j representative word,
Money translated into the ordinary
language OF life means work and blood
and sweat and exhausted energy. Mon
ey! Why, that represents the woman
scrubbing at the tub and the book
keeper compiling his figures and the
nurse pouring out the medicines and
the carpenter building houses and the
towers for the STICK and the gospel for
the ignorant and the deprnved Do
you mean TO tell me. . man. that at
tire gambling table you have right
TO squander your mothers and fa-
Tiers substance like that? And vet
go into any one of the postgraduate
schools and colleges today and you
VIII find young men at the gaming ia
bic not more surely destroying them.
selves than squundering the money
that was won by the self denying sac
rifices OF parental lives.
But" some one else says. "the mon
ey have Is mine. Why? | did not in
berit Ii or have IL given TO me. made Il.
Therefore have right TO do with Il
as please" Oh. no. my brother, you
have not That money which you
made is not yours. 1t belongs TO your
children. When your little children
came into the world they brought TO
you certain moral obligations. You
had no right 20 become q father unless
you were ready TO the best Of your
ability TO look after your babies. That
money which you squander at the gam
bling table means more than money.
IL means your children's clothes, your
children's schooling, your children's
proper start In life. DIR. Mott, believe
II was, who said, a gamblers heart
after awhile will become so dead to all
love that II necessary he will be will
Ing 10 gamble upon his own mothers
coffin lid" You say that is q mon
strous statement. i say IL is not. BE
may not do that but the gambler will
do worse. He will destroy his chill
drcn. 1t would be infinitely more HUI
name for me to gamble upon my moth
ers coffin lid than to gamble awny my
children's education and opportunities.
The cold lips OF my dead mother could
not rebuke me. while the cracked, Bills
tering tongue OF the outraged and dis
and disgraced child Of a heart
less gambler might curse my soul into
the black pit or eternal woe.
A Rule with NO Exceptaou..
But" says some one again, lit Is
not certain that I should lose. II 4
win ut the gambling table I am guilt
ess OF the wrongs against parents and
shiidren that you are denouncing."
Well my brother. with gambling
you hive no right to suppose
my such case All gamblers-shaH L
'ay all? Yes. practically all-ultimate.
y lose every cent they ever win at
rortuna's altar. There are practically
10 exceptions to this rule. FORTUNES
emple was built for the goddess Of
hance.o but In gambling there "a no
the devotee practically loses
IL II this statement Il not true how
an you account for the fact that every |
ear the annual expenditures to run
donte Carlo are $4,000. 900. and yet
ach year the shareholders of that evil |
esort divide nearly 100000 profits.
this statement is not true how can
GU account for the fact that the Lou |
'iana lottery was able to expend mil |
ons upon millions OF dollars every |
ear for corruption and bribery and
public Improvements" and taxes and |
ct was able to make its owners mil
onaires many times over? IL this is |
OF true bow can the great gambling
OF the large cities pay |
the police departments thousa nds
pom thousands OF dollars as sop for
hem TO keep their hands of. for no
ambling den is ever run in large
lily without the connivance of the no
ce. and also 10 furnish their patrons
ourSe dinners witE wine all FREQ Of 4