The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-05-09
BETTING ON GAMES.
Baseball and Public Morals" the
Subject of Rev. w. L. Seabrooks
Sermon on Sunday.

Baseball and Public Morals,' was
the theme OF the Rev. w. L. Sea-
brooks sermon at the Lutheran
Church of the Redeemer on Sunday
morning, being the first of three SER
mons which Mr.. Seabrook will preach
upon great moral questions. Mr..
Seabrook was followed with close
attention by a large congregation.
He directed his remarks against bet
ting on baseball and against samb-
ling in any form. He said that ne
was influenced alone in what he was
going to say by desire for the well
fare of this community and the young
men in it, and the old men as WE'LL
and he was prompted in his remarks
by what he had seen and heard on
the local baseball diamond and on the
streets of Newberry during the past
two months. From the great book
of human life his text was taken.
In this community, said Mr.. Sea-
brook. baseball was having its lntiu-
ence on morals, public and private
and he was grieved to feel that this
influence was not alone for good, but
that in one direction it was wholly
for evil. Baseball per Sc, when
played by gentlemen, as it was play"
ed in the college games, had an IN
Auence for good. 1t was not the
fault of the game. 1t was OF the vice
or evil of gambling, OF which this
community was full, that he would
speak this morning. Nothing made
man more heartless than the passion
Of gambling-the finished gambler
was the most hardened creature on
the face of the earth. Gambling was
more general today than ever before
Every boy in the community, ne De-
lieved. was threatened today as never
before. Mr.. Seabrook gave a number
Of illustrations of the disastrous ends
to which gambling led, in one OF his
illustrations stating that, in the place
where the happening was located
there were no little "semlganl6llng
he1ls there such as it is alleged are IN
Newberry, but late at night behind
the blinds could be seen the llgnt
which told of the progress OF the
game" Gamblirr. he said, was not
simplv an evil on account OF the re-
suits to which it led, but it was an
evil in itself. The game hadn't any,
thing to do with it, nor had the size
Of the stake. He knew men who
would not think of going down
where there is an opportunity Tor
men to play poker and play it, but
thew wouldn't hesitate somewhere
else to take a little bet on euchre Or
some game of that kind. The other
day. down here on the street, he hao
seen a boy OF about thirteen years OF
age walk up to another boy OF about
the same age with quarter OF a DOL
lar in his hand, and say, cover It,
and the other boy covered it. He had
covered a serpent, said Mr.. Sea0rook'
which would one day raise its head
to bite him. He condemned gam0-
ling as unmanly and as unchrlstian
and as a great evil. An organization.
which. within forty-eight hours after
it began it's existence, had made 1t
necessary for citizen OF the COM
munity to close his back doors to
keeo his children from hearing I'LL
DIT a five ON that" with an oath,
| couldn't exist if it were composed
only of men who do such things. he
had been told there were little boys
betting on the girls baseball game
the other afternoon. 1t was no WON
der when their fathers had bet on the
ball games.
Mr.. Seabrook was forceful and
calm and dispassionate in his ro-
marks and held the close attention
of his congregation.
The subjects OF the remaining ser
mons will be, The Temperance
Question and the Individual ano
The Social Evil