GAMBLING.

Hastings Standard, Issue 39, 11 June 1896, Page 4

GAMBLING.

Charlc-j King --iey used t > -u\ t«i the hnman race may, far ! ; k i purpose.-, be divided into .1 11 Honest mo?i, who m< an t j dj 11 ami do it : knave.-, who mean 10 do wronar. and do it: and fools, who moan to do whichever of tin- two is pleasanter. The latt->rmay be divid-d again into black fool;,, who would rather <io wrm;;', but dare not. unie-s it is the fa-hion ; whin- fojls. who would r.ith'-r do right. but dare not, imle-s it is the fu.-hion. Sow the ];. r> •: Tii* n do no:. i" •. 1 my advice ; and the knav. - i! 1n »t take it ; neither I fear, will the black fools. l.til of the whitf iools I hav«i hope, for they :»:i 11 n 5 *l b If I > Tilt nil)' r ( l \i. ' !, ov wb : " • fo.L ! ] >0 ■ Oi t'lo .• l: !«ti . '■ - i ; >t ( - I■j■ 1! 11i; 1 *-r <•* e't« OK V> <-■"!: J -1 i >■ Hind (-Lit 1 1 'I i ' tie! »"'.'iii • in * j . 1' 11 a • 1 > I- . lined by 1 ui'i 'u *. l''. I 1 '>' -row by v'i r >'i \ .iJ> f . » >, v-tights the ground of evciirmf.it. Chn-.*Jans, in t!t-* early d iys of the C :«i*: *ti:i;i Church, were put into the amphitheatre by P' 'ii Rom l.nr-ts. on 1' >:c s.:i !m >.i •. t> f> :V„ v.r.h wi'd beasts, fur ,:i j amu-< rii-at of the populace.

< I nil'''. . : i's " . I 1 i>." 1 sport i u;.r pa r si: ■■ ■<:>ftl le A n ', r i'i e a;i(' I i:' re! l. who thought more of hares a'.ri hound« th ip "i p - > i'-. • i" >nd that the Bible upk->li.ls giuies of C ' "» -'» v.- i 'i : • i> • l:\ • 1 i by lot. Ac'im w i-> >v I>*. t !> • !■ -try.t■ry. Saul was chosen king «>y lot. The Bible says tint •• Th-? lot is east n*.:o th? l.to, but the wY*>'.:> .1"-.' x of it i- of tli • L >:• 1." The ,i - i •• 'ir i> " anions the Jews was a purelv ivl , ) 1 act. Is was re illy an app -a I to o;jl. But there i; a very " ■!' i • between this prte:: ean I the >-!• ■ i gambling mtchorl. The ]»» i < i priests* and some of the Protestant minister? encot;ra_* r. .1 church bazaars, but it is done merely to get money. The iirm y - o <: >' h blool money ; quite as mir:h as th-: thirty pieces of -i!\\r that betravid <'h:*i t into the hand; of the Jews. It i* useless for the .lo fenders of tins practise to remind u-; tint " the cnl sajetiiies tho means." A bad method can never make ag> 1 1 work. \Yhat is immoral in principle can never b • made right by practice.- »•> >! ends are never accompli-'hod In* had. means.

Gambling tends to the rain of the gambler ; it risks the welfare of family and friends ; it alienates from business and leads into bad company. The benefit received docs not represent any effort put forth, and the happiness o£ the winner involves the misery of the loser. Such conduct tends to social disaster and ruin. It sears the sympatby and hardens the heart of man. It cultivates a hard egoism, and produces a cetien.i <! ri- .ration of character and . "itducE. It is based on selii dmess. it aims at taking a moan advantage of i loranee. Two men bet on any event, •■a/ - on a horse race. One man thinks h- knows more >ai a horse than the , ••K*r, and tries therefore to take a '"nean advantage of his weaker brother by taking money out of his pocket. It i: bad as highway robbery. But we doit for the fun of the tiling " savs one, "■ it is not so much for the money that is in it." But why is it that money is always in it ? Men .t J not g i .b 1 * L >\ »1 ], )b - V mni \h > iw'h i ■ i » p\ _ i i.; i ' h -' i a t b : . < Gambling is c vi:.v.-v to tli:* divine* t-tiie of labor. It ntidv-miiiuM indu-try 1 (.'nut To ■> ll ' l i 11 ' il i the \\ ikui ' cl > ■-. V iii i i *1 > \l . t v ob 1 i 1 ) gl „'l > \ \\ 1 ]> t. oil g > b >1 I* l •' b 11 fUt )' But a man who lives on the sorrows of others is a bloodsucker and parasite. Gambling is disastrous to home life. The music of the ho.a- io.-ts it charm for him. Numerous honics have been blighted by this vi! • cur •. Wife and children have been reduced to beg-gary bv a sufHe of cards or the speed of a horse. The home of the gambler is doomed. The late Disraeli once said that the turf is a vast engine of national demoralisation." limn the homes of the people, and you bring a nation to pauperism. Gambling shatters the very foundation of society.

Tim existence of the totalizator is one of the most monstrous enigmas in the colony. That gambling -'i m'd 1» legalised by Parliament is a scandal to civilisation.

Gambling is ono of" the most prolific causes of suicides. There are many sad cases of suicide after the races. One lottery in London some time ago was followed by no less than fifty suicides that were traceable to it. The river Yarra, which run-- through Melbourne, reaps a great harvest of human life after every Cup day. How to put down this evil has been a vexed question with many moralists. Anti-gambling societies are in existence in various parts of the world. There are societies now for almost everything. An anti-gambling society in every centre of population would do good. All our Parliamentary candidates should be asked if they are gamblers. If they are, they should not receive a single vote from a Christian community. Some of the biggest swindlers on the turf are the most prominent members of Parliament in England. But the nation is rising against it. Lord Roselxiy lost his position as Prime Minister of England recently to his winning money on the turf. It was gratifying to see that the British Parliament recently, by a very strong vote, refused to adjourn on Derby Pay.

There shi:;i!.l be a law against the dens of gambling that prevail in all oiu- centres of population. Some of the barbers* shop? are dens of thieves. Children— boys and girls—are known to {jo to those places and lay their shillings on horses. We are aware that people cannot be made moral by legislation : but, if bad laws increase mimoraiin good laws surely would tend to check it.

Our newspapers also should be purilled. See what iiaritag rcpori i ate iriven in w-w papers of the f iln < 1 t < 1 r Tilt l\e—> 1 no.\ f * 1 rge. I f • "11 I vast ffi-opovti.'i is. I: 1- r er- i.e ; - its ; |K>'vei - every ■!:: v. The I';-. ••• is now '>k 1 l t >ll I 1 ' » * t : ( 1-' ' 1 '1 .'I ! 1' ( .) ' 1 "'1 I»■ i - \ mortal i! inlt d el- with all classes of questions. iM't ii ntcl to K almost omniscient. The churches also should be very deei-ive against all lotteru s, whether at fairs, social- or bazaars. The church -hou'd b:\ like's Casnr's wife, above suspicion. If the homes, the nation, the Press, and the Church army themselves- against the turf and the gambling mania. we will soon have that peace an I goodwill that make the keynote of the (.Jospel of Je-us Christ.