Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-19

find out.
II will say, however, that since
this sermon was first thought of, in
fact, since the first draft OF 1t was
written, q man came to me and con-
fessed that he had been gambling
and named the places where he did
1t. But as this man gave this con-
fessfon as a penitent to o pastor,
and as he is not willing for me to
use this information for a~pprehend-
ing those who are thus breaking the
law, I am unable to take any action.
1t liz known, however, that many men
whose families need the money are
sauandering it In crap shooting.
There are cases demanding charity
where the head of the family could
support it from the wages that he
makes but he does not, and, other
ways of disposing of 1t being lack
| ing, the natural conclusion is that he
squanders 1t In gambling. There are
those whose grocery bills are in the
hands of a legal collector who, new
| ertheiess, have money to risk with
dice or cards.
Boys Are Influenced.
ASK the merchants what they
think of this evil and see what they
say. Ask the poormaster and hear
his story. There is, however, this
distinction between the games of
chance, which are carried on In
houses, and crap shooting. The one
is done secretly and guarded as care
Efully as possible. The other is done
~Eopenly SO that there aresfew In the
town who have not seen 1t at some
thine or other. Those who go to the
.Egambling places are almost entirely
adults. While on the other hand.
while 1t is true that many men shoot
crap, the majority Of those VINO do
lit are boys. 1t seems to me, there
fore, that this is the more dangerous,
flor, If we cut off the stream the
fountain will dry Zip. II you do not
teach the boys to gamble YOU VIII
not have tho men gambling In after
years.
"You say, what shall be done7'l
That was the question which the
of the town asked me when
| brought this matter to his atteu-
ton and / want to say right here |
that this is not a TRADE against the
powers that be, for they aluafAHIly1
til 1asy ~Habpreciafsd tie greatnesa
og the evil In our town. The mayor
has assured me that 1t is his earnest
desire to have this evil stopped and
he believes that all the members OF
the borough council feel likewise. 4
believe what he says is true. But
what shall we do?
Arouse PutAic Sentiment.
First exercise public sentiment
for the right in this matter. Do not
let your children go to candy stores
and indulge in chances of any kind,
for they are only training the child.
for the life of q gambler later on.
Notify your merchants tnat II they
engage In rallies you will take your
TRADE elsewhere. Insist that hon
lasty shall prevail and each Will pay
for what he gets and not that a hun
dred shall pay for the prize of one.
LAS to crap shooting and other
forms of gambling, the laws OF New
Jersey are most strict, and all that Is
necessary Is to force men to keep
the laws. 1t is true that you. cannot
stop 1t all at once, but YOU will stop
the public gambling as 1t Is today.
THE penalty for crap shooting and
other forms of gambling is a fine of
mot more than $1,000 and imprisor-
ment with or without hard labor as
the Judge may direct for any term
not exceeding three years, Or both.
This should be enough 10 deter those
lwho persist In the game. The fact
is that they have been allowed to do
as they please and they seem TO
think that nothing can be done with
with them. But, once the arm OF
the law shows its power, they will
think differently. This, of course,
cannot be done with only two police
men, one of whom goes on duty at
4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the
lother going on at q; one finishes his
work at Q o'clock a. M, and the 9TH
er at s or 6 o'clock. a. m. What is
needed is a special band OF deputies
who can be depended upon to do
their duty and who will arrest any
lone who may be found breaking the
law in this respect or any respect.
Those who break the laws them
SELVES, or what is worse. teach young
boys and children to do it should be
made to suffer.
mot only should the authorities
take up this matter but they should
have back OF them the support and
moral sanction of every person In
Ethe community who loves the right
and desires to make q town d law
abiding place; q place where the
highest principals of morality are In
force. | believe that the officials of
this town are men who desire TODD
their best to make 1t a clean town.
l believe that our policemen do their
ibest; but the work is too great for
either the officials or the policemen
IunIass backed np bv nubtfr ssnti-
ment, which not only demand that
wrong doera shall be punished. but
defends and supports those who do
the Furnishing. In this 1t Is neces-
sary that the church should lead,
not only because she Is theoretically
Iepposed to all such evils, but be-
cause her very life is threatened;
for the boys that she trains In her
Sunday schools and In her homes are
being snatehed away from her ard
taught the tricks of the devil There
are few men In our churches for one
treason, because they have become
Infatuated With these other things
and, therefore, neglect the weightier
things of life and soul. Just as the
gambler la bis zeat for his gain will
! forget the obligations of his family
and Will gamble away the bread that
viii satisfy his children. SO the man
whose eyes are blinded by the desire
loT wealth will hush the calling OF
has conscience to higher tasnes
Higher interests Of the community
demand that these things be ahoI-