The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-08-19
Who Is Re sponsible?

AT mass meeting in the Second
b'-@af'r rt aris' N al,, irah -Da-to-->-sutLn
on a Sabbath afternoon, in tho. presence
OF over two hundred men, & converted
gambler and ex.saloOn keeper made ths
Following statement which has created
a profound imp, ession:
IL have been III The saloon business.
with gambling room attached, for the
last fonr years, aud claim to know some
thing ABOUT what am now going to tell
you. DO not believe that the gambling
Den Is neatly 50 dangerous, nor does it
do anything like the same amount of
harm as the social card party i'm the
home give this as my reason: To the
gambling room, the windows are closed
tight, the curtains are pulled down.
everything is conducted secretly for fear
Of detection, and none but gamblers. ns
rule, enter there; while in the parlor
all have access to the game, children are
permitted to watch it, young people are
invited to partake in it. 1t is made at
tractlve and alluring by giving prizes.
serving refreshments. and adding high
social eDjoyments. For my part, I new
or could see the difference between play
ing for piece Of silver moulded in the
shape Of money and silver moulded i'm
the shape OF cup or thimble. The prin-
ciple is The same, and whenever property
changes hands over the luck of the
cards, l believe it is gambling. Have
you ever thought of itP Where do ali
the gamblers come fromp They are not
taught in the gambling dens. A sgIeen-
er,' unless he is fool, never enters a
gambling hell, because he knows that he
will ba feeced out of everything he
possesses In less than fifteen minutes
He has learned somewhere else before he
sets foot inside such place. When he
has played in the parlor, in the social
game of the home, and has become pro-
hcient enough to win prizes from his
friends, the next step. with him is to seek
out the gambling-rOOm, for he has learn
cd, and now counts upon his efficiency
to hold his own. The saloon men and
gamblers chuckle and smile when thew
read In the papers of The parlor games
given by the ladies, for they know that
after while these same men will become
the patrons Of their business. | saw
theu, the parlor game is the college
where gamblers are made and educated.
In tie name of God, rnen, stop this
business in your homes Burn up tour
decks and wash your hands.''
After he had taken his seat. another
converted ex-gambler, who led the mems
meeting In the Second Presbyterian
church the following Sabbath, arose and
SAID: II endorse every word which the
brother before me has just uttered.
was a gambler, learned to play cards.
not in the saloon, not In my own home.
but In homes Of my young friends, who
invited me to play with them and taught
me how"
Another told Of a mother who had
her eyes opened to tho danger of card
playing In the home. She had been in
the habit Of going to and giving 'pro-
gressive euchre parties," and FREQUENTLY
won prizes" which she brought home
and showed to the family. One morn
ing her son showed her roll of bills
and said, "MOther, these are what I won
last night in playing cards with some
men L met down tOwn.o "Why. INV
son, do you mean TO tell me you have
been gamblingp" why, mother" he