The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-04

Rise up and put it down. There is
too much cowardice, too little back
bone,
Too many concerns here have their
hand in every mans pockets. The
taxes are almost prohibitive. The
revenue from the liquor business and
race tracks, etc, etc, must be enor-
nous. Where does it all go? Is any
thing Of more importance than the
boys and girls?
You Pensacola people remind me OF
the story on Methodist preachers in
Georgia. When conference time comes,
| and 1t is time to move, the chickens
turn over on their backs and stick
their feet up to be tied!
In arguing the moral iniquity of the
getting-something- nothing habit,
we go back to teaching Of this text,
namely, that money gotten this way
has q manner of taking unto itself
wings and flying away. It is blood
money and stings the soul of him who
gets it.
The gamblers money lacks real
value. Money to have real value must
bring satisfaction. It is safe to say
that no money of this sort ever
brings satisfaction. If he be not honest
then there is no peace saith my God
for the wicked" If he be honest there
must come a time when, like Judas
Iscariot, he must wish to return 1t to
the rightful owners.
A reformed cowboy talking to n
gambling, worthless companion, who
afterwards became a horse thief au1
was murdered, says: After awhile, ]
noticed a right strange fact The
money I made easy, that 1 wasn't
worth, 1t went like it came strained
myself none gettin' or spendin' it.
But the money that I was worth, why
began to feel right careful about
that. And now have got savings
slowed away. If once you could know
how good that feels"
1t is singular how true this is to
fact. There are defunct gamblers
stranded all along the shore, like old
out worn hullzs of wrecked vessels,
water soaked and unfit for use. Ofte:
they are buried by the state or BY
passing the hat. Gambling fills peni-
otherwise useful men. Green and
Gaynor have passed into the list.
Many men who might have had a
name now only have a number.
Breeds ReckIessness.
| Gambling breeds a certain reckless
ness. Il is inseparable connected with
cheating, liquor, and other lawless acts.
It breeds hate and murder. The gam
| bler's home or business is never safe.
1t makes him reckless about his own
life and the life of others. 1t is re-
garded by all right thinking men as
an immoral act. 1t violates the law
of labor, and the law of honesty, for
some one must suffer for every penny
| filched by dishonest means from any
others pocket.
| wonder II there has been any con-
nection between our national love Of
gaming and the unwelcome fact that
| human life is less sacred and safe In
America than in any other civilized
land on earth? It is enough to make
us all pause and ponder.
The supreme objection to gambling,
in all Of it's forms, is that 1t works
harm and loss to society. AS soon as
any practice becomes a social evil, 1t
becomes wrong, whatever men may
have thought Of 1t before.
The long and costly experience Of
mankind bears uniform and unanimous
testimony to the fact that gambling is
| demoralizing, a nuisance and an in
tolerable evil. Why should the big
diamond studded, slick scoundrel sit
up at night and win big sums upon
which to disport himself in daytime,
whilst and you and other men, try
ing to abide by law, burn the midnight
lamp to study, or put in eight on ten
hours hard labor to feed our families?
Why should the bank cashier specu
late with our money?
George NJ. Valentine, defaulting
cashier of the wrecked Perth Ambov,
n. J., bank, made this confession from
/ his prison cell: 1.-THE Saturday I let
! the bank for the last time, took with
me $1,000 that was not mine kne "
the bank examiner would be around
the next week, and that 1 would have
to make a semi-annual statement, and
an apparent shortage Of $4,000 would
be discovered Immediately. If that
should be discovered I knew the jig
would be up. Therefore I took that
$1,000 determined, If possible, to make
with it $4,000, and thus tide myself
over for a time. With the money
went to the only place knew where