BUSINESS ACUTENESS OF RACE-TRACK MANAGERS.
By T.
There have been and still are thousands who believe that the whole tendency of the race-track is to drive out morality and goodness. And since gambling and betting in connection with the races has become so universal, and as their debasing evils are being revealed more and more, of course every one who has any of the elements of right thinking left in his mind will naturally raise his voice against them. And so it is a stroke of business policy for the managers of the races to give a day's proceeds now and again to some charitable institution. In this way the managers of an institution that is really good in itself are led to work for the other institution that is very much to be questioned; for as soon as the charitable institution decides to accept the gate receipts of a day at the races, it will naturally be expected of them to work hard to have as large an attendance on that day as possible. And, further, this gives the race-track managers a chance to talk of the great good they are doing by bringing so much money into the treasuries of charitable institutions. Even the secular papers are condemning the growing evils of race-track gambling. Hundreds of young men, so we are told, are being ruined in this way. And since the results of the race-course are manifestly so bad, no man or institution should encourage the wrong by attending it, and much less by partaking of its ill-gotten gains and working to get others to attend on these special days when the gate receipts are to go to some charitable object. Spain has a special day at her bull-fights, and the gate receipts go for the building up of her navy. People that claim to be more civilized look upon such a thing with abhorrence. But, shocking tho it may seem to some, nevertheless there is ground for believing that the principle underlying the one is not so far removed from the principle that actuates the other. That is, we are not willing to give fifty cents or a dollar toward some particular cause unless we can be in turn amused to a certain extent. In Spain the most popular amusement, perhaps, is the bull-fight. In the United States the race-track is one of the most popular entertainments. And while the bull-fight seems more barbarous, yet does it furnish a worse medium for assisting mankind on the road to depravity? It is indeed gratifying that the bull-fight would not be tolerated in the United States to-day. But if the tendency for exciting amusements continues, who can tell that the time may not come when it will be introduced? “But here is our great civilization,” I hear you say. Yes, that is perfectly true. But Rome at her midday had as high a civilization as anything the world can present to-day. And yet Rome fell. And every one knows, or at least should know, that the downfall of Rome, more than by any other one thing, was brought about by the people giving themselves over completely to the sports of the day. And when the evil is fully begun, who can predict where it will end? These are some facts that charitably-inclined people should carefully consider before accepting the proceeds of races. For it can not be denied that when the race-track is allowed to devote a day to any popular charity, the managers of the races are benefited by far the most in the end. Proper relaxation and recreation should always be encouraged; for it invariably elevates. But this age is running wild over mere amusement and fun, and the marks of degrading degeneracy that always have and ever will accompany it are clearly to be seen. And it is indeed a pity that people with good intentions should be found helping to spread the evil, and that, too, in the name of “sweet charity.” And sadder still is the thought that the professed church of Christ has set the example and pioneered the way in this popular plan of amusing people in the name of charity. The church pays for their organ, buys a new carpet, cushions their pews, or makes up the lack in their pastor’s salary, with the proceeds of various kinds of entertainments, many of which have gambling under one form or another connected with them. And when professed Christians appeal to men’s appetites or their love for amusement in order to get funds for the church, is it any wonder that the people flock to all sorts of places of amusement, and wildly join in gambling, in order, without taking the trouble to earn it, to get money for their own private use? Recently a minister well known in certain parts very severely rebuked from his pulpit the managers of a popular and charitable institution because they were advertised to receive the proceeds of a day at the races. His rebukes of the evils of the race-course, aside from a few unfortunate remarks that were rather personal, could not be justly condemned. But, as might have been expected, some very severe criticisms were publicly made against the pastor for his denunciations of the institution that would partake of the evils of the race-track by accepting a part of its receipts. Of course none of the invectives hurled at him could overthrow the principles that had been set forth against the evils of gambling. But one pungent pen asked him to show the difference between the evils of raffling and other forms of lottery that were practised by his church, and the evils of the race-track gambling. Then the poor pastor was called away from denouncing sin in the world to the shameful task of apologizing for a similar sin in the professed church. This is certainly a very deplorable condition for professors of Christ to be in. And every one should recognize the fact that a church is not following the Master when its minister can not rebuke the most flagrant evil without striking the church as hard as he does the world. And when Christ’s professing church sets the world the example of debasing sinfulness instead of leading in the way of holiness, it is time for reflection on the part of all those who are truly desirous of following their Lord. Gambling is recognized as one of the most menacing evils of this age. Horse-racing, football, baseball, and numerous other so-called amusements and sports, are organized largely to carry out the purpose of the gambler. Even the very staples of life are gambled over in board of trade and stock exchange. And there are hundreds of unscrupulous men who provide the means for their profligate living by these various evil ways. Now who will venture an estimate as to how much of this evil seed has been sown by the various lotteries, grab-bags, etc., by means of which pastors claiming to stand purely for righteousness have taught young men that “taking a chance” was no harm “if they only had a good object before them”? In the great reckoning day there are some who will most surely have an awful account to render for these evils that have been wrought in the name of Christ. It behooves all who would love the Lord to set themselves uncompromisingly against this sin of gambling, no matter where they find it. If it is in the church, that does not excuse it, but makes it all the worse.