The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-05-11
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Gard PLAYING.

find profanity, vulgar jests, loud con-
versation and usually drinking. 1t leads
to late hours which is deleterous to
health; it wastes time, destroyes love
for home and friends, wastes money,
leads to pernicious habits and fosters a
taste for hazards. That it is an evil
all admit. 1t wrongs the player whether
he lose or win, an unhealthy excitement
is aroused. which quickens the pulse,
fushes the face, sets the eye staring
and feelings are so wrought upon that
angry words often break out.
The love for the game grows until
the mind is as eager for it as the drunk
ard for his cups. 1t becomes a devour-
ing passion that will consume every
thing good and nobel, pure and elevating
and it is species of theft that does not
necessitate the thief thrusting his hand
into your pocket and extracting the
money.
1t wrongs the employer as well as the
employee who practices it. The daily
papers TEEN with accounts of the down
fall of clerks and the ruin of houses
through gambling. The young man
steals to gamble, fees to Canada, the
gamblers mecca, or lands in prison or
a Suicides grave. 1t does not render
just equivalent for what it takes.
Every game Of chance from pitching of
coppers to the take Of the professional
from the parlor of the woman of So
ciety or church member, to the haunts
of men is gambling. This includes
lotteries, betting and etc.
The glitter of diamonds and the flash
ing of gold doesn't change the nature
of the viper. Sweetest music can't
drown its woe. You may make a cloak
of bank notes tut that doesn't conceal
its hideousness. 1t will be the same
willy, venomous serpent and out from
the cards of the winner gazes the
CHASTITY specter of damnation and from
the cards of the loser shoots the coils
of despair. You may do all in your
power to make it attractive to the vir-
tuous, but you will only make it more
hideous, while fraud will ever be
stamped upon it. It is characterized
by prodigality. 1t wastes money and
life's energies as well. He will hazard
every cent he can get. He will borrow
anywhere and under any pretense. He
will steal from his employer and take
from his family Wealth gotten by
gambling seldom stays long. The end
usually brings poverty. shame and
wretchedness. When a young man be-
gins to gamble, he is on the edge of a
vortex.
If you would avoid failures, poverty,
social disgrace and the misery of hell,
avoid the gambler table.
You may say III keep cool and leave
at any time, but once in the fascination
and an irresistible impulse propels you
onward. you can as soon play with an
adder and not be stung as to play with
this thing and not suffer. Reason is
powerless and logic is too weak to con-
vince the gambler whose wild looks in
dictate the unstrung nerves and excited
mind that like disordered bit of ma
chnery is wracking itself.
1t fosters idleness. God made us to
work. He gave US powers so that we
can do good. But gambling says, no
use making slave OF Yourself, you NAV
make money easier. How? Steal it in
a popular way. The lazy person is a
nuisance in any community.
This teaches the young man that it is
disreputabe to work, so it diverts at
tention from business and industry and
centers it on the gambling table, and so
they grow tickle and disconnected. 1t
is system of lazy vagabondage. which
units for business. Knights of the bar
lounge on easy seats while the mechanic
must toll and sweat for meager earnings
but he gets sweet sleep and the happi-
ness of family. Testimony and ex-
perience unite in proclaiming the
gambler an idle spendthrift in proper
ton as he is addicted to the practice.
1t is lying system. 1t fatters only
to cheat, it allures to destroy, it fawns
over you only to stab you. 1t is based
on falsehOod and thrives on living and
the gambler from the nature of the
case Is liar. He lies to play he PLAYS
to lie, for the thing is a falsehood. His
skill is to cheat. It's wholesale ROBBERY.
1t will rob you of every thing yet give
no equivalent. Every loser knows this
is true. If lunatic would dispose Of
his farm for trihe the law would in
terfear to protect him. If the laws Of
the state were enforced every den in
the State could be closed in a month.
Steal sack of flour and arrest will
follow, yet men are allowed to 90 scot
free, who live by stealing the earnings
of clerks, the bread of children, the
clothes of wife and the comforts of
home. 1t was invented to please a
lunitic king.
Well has it been said of the gambler.
"LOOk where he fawne he hitae. v,bon