The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-02-21
REV. PLATTER
Rather MOgnIncs the lmmOralltlcs Of
This City In His Sunday Sermon.

Rev Platter Ot the First Presbyter
ian church last night spoke as follows
"And the King and lIaman sat down
TO drink but the city ShoushOn wOt
perplexed,"
/ think II is putting II 80 mildly that
you will every one agree with me, when
say that everything ls not rs the well
disposed people Of Canton, the law
abiding people would like TO see H. |
have not the 8lightest disposition to
indulge In any personal reflections upon
any of our city onlolels or " mako any
wholesale and indisctimlnato criticism
upon tho conduct Of our city govern.
ment lGthe city o0lvi0ls "sit down 10
drink" or are In hand andgloye,with the
men who SGT out drink, then there Is
apt to be great laxitydn The enforce.
ment Of what little law we have for the
regulation Of the liquor trallic
am not about the city much on the
Sabbath, ana yet on more than one oc'
casion have passed saloons aud heard
sounds from the inside, that indicated
that the back door was open, and that
drinking was going on inside, Those
who are about the city great deal say
that the baCkdoors are pretty generally
open on Sunday. A gentleman told me
that on last Sabbath he saw two drunk.
en- men stagger out OF u saloon In
Court street. (Which by the way bids
fair TO deserve the sobriquetof Devils
Row, from the way saloons are oongre
eating In IT, 49,,
There rs one reflection which ] wish
to make on the side Of the executive
officer OF q city. lie is constantly un
der pressure from the saloon keepers
and their friends, while the people of
the city, who are In favor Of moral
order, stand aloof from him instead OF
bringing pressure TO bear to back him
up and steady him In the execution OF
the law,
IL Is commonly said That man who
Is well known TO be opposed 10 the 81,
looms cannot be elected TO the Office OF
Mayor In Canton If this were true II
would indicate that there are more
voters in Canton who are In favor Of y
city government that Is lenient toward
immortality than there are who sympa'
thlze with good, clean, moral govern
ment and sharp application Of the law
TO immoralities. But do not believe
that Is the case. | believe that tho
majority of the voters Of Canton do not
wish the city government TO be under
the influence OF the saloons.
1t were u great deal better
IL the government of our municipal af.
fairs was conducted on strictly bust.
ness principles, and as matters OF pure
business, and that the lines Of party
politics should be ignored. II were n
great deal better If We would make mu..
nicipal government, not q question OF
Democrat or Republican In office, but
q question Of good or bad local govern
ment. IL does not make one iota diff
ference whether the Mayor Of Canton
be q Democrat or Republican, but II
does make q great deal Of difference
whether he be q man well fitted for the
place, and man thoroughly In sympa-
thy with good clean administration
of the city government.
II seems to me that self interest
would dictate such a policy as this to
the leading business men Of our city Mt
this present juncture Of its develop
ment. II is probable that during the
coming year public improvements will
be inaugurated that will aggregate an
expenditure of $500, 900 and call for the
best wisdom and finest business capaci.
ty, which can be brought TO their incep.
tlon and development, and II is simply
in the line of practical application Of
business matters for the citizens of this
city to lay aside political considerations
and bring to the front the very best
business men Of the city to manage
these important matters