The Nevada County picayune., 1921-11-03

akes chance when he plants his TOD: that the man who insureS his property or his life simply bets on the ! chances of escaping fire or death. as l he case may be l am not unmindtul | of the apparent force of these argn- ments In answer let me say first ot all that those who say such things are usually blinded by their own unfor- tunate attitude to the question. Ii iS well for US to remember that it is well igh impossible for men to judge clear ly where their own interests and pre- judiccs are involved. That was wise law in ancient Israel which forbade
 the judge of any cause to receive q
 gift from the parties to the cause For
 gift doth blind the eyes of the wise. Il iS not always easy for us to judge
 clearly when such judgment would
 convict uS of wrong doing Neither k
 it easy for us to jndge clearly when our own self interests are involved. If should write the word Wrong
 in clear and large letters on a slip Of
 paper and hold before your eyes you could read it at q glance. but If
 l should place above that word five dollar note you could not read it at
 all.
 But in answer to the arguments al ready stated let me say very briefly:
 First of all. the Bible is not book
 of specific rules and regulations. Il does not undertake to name each sin
 of which men might be guilty, but t lays down great fundamental princi- pies by which the moral character of each action of our lives may be de termined. The Bible does not Speciii- eally forbid gambling but ii does give
 Us some great moral principles which are utterly inconsistent with both the practice and the spirit of gambling Let Us see if this k not true. It has been proven by the common experience of the world that the practice of gamb- ling K hmtful to moral character. Men who seek to win from their felloWmea without giving them some sort of fair return must succeed only by the weak ness OF the misfortune of the'r fel= | lows
 In either ease the result must he disastrous to the character of the man who wins. No right thinking man can afford to prosper at the expense of an- other. Much less can he afford to take advantage of his brothers weakness
 or ignorance yet one of these condi= | tionS must necessarily exist when one l is successful in a game of chance. As to the argument that everything ! in life is uncertain and that everything we do is more or less of a gamble. answer briefly that there is no sort of analogy or comparison between mere game of chance. or the uncertain re- l suit of ball game, on the one hand, and the necessary and legitimate risks which men assume in carrying on busi- ness of society. It is quite true that | the farmer the merchant and every man who engages i'll business assumes risks. but these are not arbitrary risks incurred in the hope of getting something for nothing The two classes of risks are as far apart in their moral quality as the poles. The one is worthy venture of faith which enricheS and enobleS the man who takes it and the other is purely arbitrary and ar tificial venture which is taken in the hope of gain at the expense of another Finally. let me appeal to all who
 hear me to resolve to win the battle
 of life not by chance or luck, but by earnest. honest service to your fellow men stand on your feet and look the world in the face with an honest pur-
 pose to earn what you get and then you will have the satisfaction of a good conscience both toward man and God Remember always that we are not here in the world simply to make money or get il living. We are here to serve our fellow men: to honor God and to build for ourselves char
 actcr which shall endure the tests of the judgment day when the secrets of