The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-07


it with shame. There are too many
churches out here that have taken
subscriptions from the saloon keeper
and the gambler. when building
was wanted; too many preachers who
eagerly accept an offering from these
gentry. And then. in time like
this, when all prudent people see the
wisdom of abolishing gambling, and
an effort is being made to do so, it is
thrown back in the face of the
church. and the preachers are twit-
ted by the gamblers. precisely as did
the individual with whom | had the
discussion in the mining camp.
The church of Jesus Christ has no
right 10 receive help from such
source. The preacher who accepts
money or favors from the saloon
keeper and the gambler is no better
than a saloon keeper or a gambler.
If anything, he is worse than either,
and more to be despised He ought
to be twitted He ought to be held
in contempt by not only the card
sharp, but everybody else. The
eminent divine who once declared
that the only thing about tainted
money Is that faint enough, and
set the pace for many to follow. did
more injury TO the church than
thousand lngersols with their
thousand utterances.
Whatever may be my short COM
ings and DEFICIENCIES as a
preacher of the gospel, | have this
to my credit that ! have never ac-
eepted any money from a gambler
or a saloon keeper. asked a
saloon keeper once to identify him
self with a secular project connected
with the good of community, that
+ had nothing to do with the church
proper. | did 1t because he was a
representative man of the town; one
of the leading citizens" and
he turned me down for the asking.
And | got just what | deserved. |
+ ought TO have been turned down.
] If God forgives me, | will never again
seek saloon keepers favor or CO.
operation | would rather my right
hand should be cut off, than have it
receive "A dollar from a gambler or
saloon keeper. ! would get down and
out of the pulpit. without moments
F hesitation, il in order to remain
! there. it would be necessary to ac-
cept help from that kind of people.
Some people say: You never can
stop gambling. II you pass law
abolishing gambling, 1t will be done
under cover. You will make sneaks
of the people. Better let 1t be done
open and above board. In other
words. men are going to steal any
! how: men are going to commit muir
/ der any how: men are going TO get
/ drunk. any how. men are going to
commit crimes of every kind, any
how; therefore, let us not have any
laws, any how. Better let man
enter your store. and pillage the
money drawer, in broad daylight,
while you are looking on, and offer
no resistance. so that he won't do 10
sneakingly. under cover. at night;
! better let a man have the right to
come manfully up before you and
stab you in the breast, so that he
wont crawl up stealthily and stick
YOU in the back. Better not curb the
+ liquor traffic. so that men will get
their drinks sneakingly; better
! throw off all restraint, and let them
wallow in a whisky barrel openly;
T let a man be a beast. If he wants to;
+ better TO be a beast than a sneak.
Two wrongs. however, never made a
right, and the less of two evils is
usually evil enough in itself not to
he tolerated.
For every crime there should be
law. Gambling is a crime. For
f that reason law should exist
/ against 1t. If gambling is still car
ried on where laws exist against it,
! II is because the law is not being en-
forced. If the law is not being en-
! forced. il is because men sworn
, to administer those laws, are not
doing their duty; are not true TO
their oath of office. If men are not
true TO their oath of office, it is be-
cause the people have given their
suffrage to INSCRIPTIONS individuals.
For every crime there should be a
law, and in order that the law shall
/ be enforced. honest men must be
/ elected to office Ii honest men can
not be elected to Office in this country
4 then there is no use of having any
laws. and our whole system of gov
eminent is failure. But this gov
eminent Is not a failure | believe
+ in the American people. | believe
! that though politics may grow rotten
enough. and the most INSCRIPTIONS
element may get control of the
machinery of government. that good
predominates in our land, and that
when things swing too far, the peo-
pie will wake up, and when the peo-
pie wake up, the vampire will let
loose. 1t is only when the traveller
in South America lies unconscious
and asleep that the vampire comes
and fastens itself upon him. It is
/ because We are asleep, that fearful
/ elements have the upper hand thriv-
i ing as they are. But often the
traveller sleeps too long. and his is
the sleep of death. Awake, awake,
/ oh, people, Awake, awake Nevada,
/ Break loose from this hideous mon
/ sfari Throw off the yamnire's elnfchf