Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-10-22


placed upon a game that sport must be
forever eschewed by the good and the
pure.
On account of the gambler the
Christian church has been compelled to
send forth It's edict Of excommunica-
ton upon the deck of cards. It is com
PEELED to declare that every one of the
kings and queens and Jacks of spades
and diamonds and clubs and hearts Is
knave because cards have become
publicly recognized MS the gamblers
tools. as the trowei Is the inason's tool.
All consecrated Christian people should
look upon pack Of cards as did John
Philip Quin, the reformed gambler,
when in public meeting he once said,
"And now, after all these years of ex-
perlence and acquaintance with all the
professional ganS)lcrs IN this country,
can truly say the parlor card table ls
the kindergarten of the gamblers hell"
On account Of the gamblers baneful
touch the angel Of wrath and denun-
citation. who stood with drawn sword
ut the Edenlc paradise, is standing to-
day ut the entrance of every public
race track saying to all good people,
Thou shalt not enter here" Talk to
me about the development Of the horse
at the race track. Every man of any
intelligence knows that the race track
today is chiefly run for the benefit Of
the gamblers. without the damning
influence Of the bookmalers the race
horse would not attract enough people
today MS n money investment to pay
for his oats and his blankets. On ac-
count Of the gambling evil even the
bowling alley today, the public billiard
table, the yachtsman's white sail and
college athletics are under condemna-
ton. In view of the immense amount
Of money which changes hands at ev-
cry football game, it is a very grave
question whether 1t would pot be better
for the different college faculties to
cast their influence against every sport
which would take students away from
the home campus.
In reference to the evil influence Of
gambling upon outdoor sports and in
door games Isaac Disraeli, the father
of the great British premier, once
wrote, "Gamester and cheat were sy-
nonymous terms in the time Of Shake
speare apd Johnson, and they have
hardly lost much Of their double sig
nificance in the present day" AS soon
as the gamblers genius hovers over q
game. that moment the sport is inev-
itably accursed
Deadly Foe Of True Sport.
Now, my friends, l protest against
this all pervadng gambling infamy. 1
protest because it is not respectable for
me to go and participate in some Of
these outdoor sports which are essen
tial for mental and physical relaxation
I protest against this gambling infamy
degrading the football field and 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. l protest, as
Robert E. Spear, the Princeton ath-
lete, protested in his Frank Talk
About Gambling and Betting" '1t Is
the contention" he wrote, that betting
money is sportsmanlike. The very re-
verse Is true. 1t is 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"
If you have any doubt about the
truth of this sweeping statement you
can easily verify 1t by going to some
college town after any great athletic
contest. The 'nebrlety you will witness
on Its streets Is disgusting.
But there Is another reason why
denounce defiant gambling. This evil
mania leads its victims to sQuander
other peoples money as we'll as their
own. Now, l am not abiding to the
poor, half crazcd clerk who will steal
from his employer in order to bet on
the races | am not abiding to the
poor servant girl who opens her mis-
tress' pocketbook In order to take out
a fifty cent piece to sQuander 1t in Il
policy shop, or TO the bank president
who, as trustee of an estate, criminally
links in wildcat speculattons the mon
ey intrusted TO his care. They are
criminals, and they know it. But
ON abiding to those who think they
are wagering only that money which
is theirs by right.
Pit Of Eternal Woe.
Young man, you say that you own
your own money and have right to
do with 1t as you will. No, you have
not. Where did you get that money =?
"Oh," you say, father left 1t to me In
his WILL" For what did he leave 1t to
you? Did he not leave It as trust :?
Did he not leave 1t to you In order
that you with it could continue to
spread abroad his Christian influence
Money Is representative word
Money translated into the ordinary
language Of life means work and blood
and sweat and exhausted energy. Mon
cy! 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
flowers for the sick and the gospel for
the ignorant and the depraved. Dc
you mean to tell me, o man, that al
the gambling table you have n right
to squander your mothers and ia
theirs substance like that? And vet
go into any one Of the postgraduate