Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1885 — Strictures on Card Playing. [ARTICLE]

Strictures on Card Playing.

Editor Republican: -In a late issue of your paper there appeared an article upon the subject of card playing, from which, in the main points, I wish to dissent. I do not suppose that you would desire to inculcate in the minds of (he youth an appetite for that which is wrong, therefore I look upon the article with much more clemency than I otherwise would. 1 beg the privilege of looking at it with all candor, and draw as nearly correct conclusions about the subject as I can. You undertake to give instructions how to play, “to not act childish” &c, but of course to try hard to win the game. Now all this looks well enough for those who wish to encourage card playing, but' for my part I do not, and my reason is that, to begin with, almost all the crime committed in the land is done by persons who have had a-training in card playing, from this to the grog shop, and then to a step more deeply imbued with crime. For a confirmation of this ask the criminal at the bar if his first step on the road to rain was not to play cards, at which he may have been an expert, and thought it an easy way to make money and this desire became a mania with him and perhaps against his better judgment he became associated with company that led him to ruin. I think this is only a brief delineation of thousands of cases that might be named. __ -

Ask the poor boy who has already started on the downward road if he learned to play cards and he will tell you the most truly refined society taught me to play and this was my first step. That what is called “the most re fined society”, play cards I have no doubt and that what is known as “the most refined society,” drink liquors, is not to be doubted. You may urge that a civil game of cards will injure no one. I am not contending that it will if it would always stop there, but in generates a desire to farther advance in that line and the end with a great many is clearly shown. You u ' a y say it is a pleasant pastime? but don’t carry it too tar. If this could always be done the argument against it would not have so much force. It is difficult to see that it is easier to form a habit than to discontinue one. The idea of playing for pastime is exactly in keeping with what a young map told me of his bringing up. He said his father was a liquor dealer and he (his father) woultj ( e H his bey 3 S° an£ l drink what they wanted but not get drank. Of course he did not know where to stop and when I saw him he was low down on the ladder. This recommend of card playing by a a paper likely to_be_read Jiyj.a manyyoung people I think is calculated to do harm and therefore my dissent, o There are a great many things that could be named that would serve as pleasant pastimes that would be useful and beneficial and that would certainly e|evate the mind as much as card playffig-.. Our aim should be to do all the good we can. Very Truly Y ours,

JARED BENJAMIN.