Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-23


their hand to the wheel of God for pub
lie good? Why do not Christians visit
our Jails, hospitals, courts and council
meetings aud contend for the right!
why do they not assist their officers,
nuut out and clea.l up the leperous sores
OF their cities in the interest," of decency,
II no more? No, they are too busy win
their own little selves aud plans in their
thirst for wealth. They think that
Stalk ing crime cannot and will not reacn
them. After their gold is all headed up
they awake with horror TO find their own
son or daughter is lost. reached by evils
they themselves refused TO wipe out, ana
their possessions become flame, as the
Word says, ''to eat their flesh like ire
No wonder young men come dissipated.
A walk will convince anyone who Will
pass through some parts of our city that
the evil still remains.
Blazing lights, bands of music anu
licensed theaters, as well as walking
evils, attract the young and
the weak, and many q mothers heart
and wife's heart must fear and faint
and many do-knowing where their
loved ones wander. Oh, that the fathers
aud mothers of this city knew where their
sons spend so many an evening hour!
II would startle this city into u blaze II
only half the truth we're told.
Now, we are to have in the best local
ity of our city another (variety show
near the public square, where the pur-
est of our SONS and daughters may not
even pass without seeing the allurements
of evil.
Fort Worth is called the city of
churches; city of thousands of church
professors; care they ChristiansD; what
are they doing? We have grand men in
our courts and Offices, ID our council and
city government. What are they doing?
Must vice and evil men run our city?
Have all men got cotton cords for back
bones? Do they want to face their record
before God?
Can Fort Worth and the cities of Texas
invite new corners with safety and ex-
hibit to them a CITY where the principal
streets are filled with traps for their sons
10 fall into, and scarceIy Il place for a
lady TO venture alone? Oh! the aching
hearts of this sad world; and the delusion
of the devil that he gets off onto Chris
tians that they are only responsible for
the evil they do and not the evil they
allow done or the evil they could prevent
and vet do not. Christian, what is your
record, record, record you are making?
y
saith the Lord; and is your fruit good?
Are you asleep and is your vine withered?
Ohi that even few Christians would
wake up in Fort Worth, and one chase
thousand.
1t is estimated that 1000 young men
and old men nightly fill these places and
saloons. What kind of fatherhood will
that make for our future? The young,
so carefully reared at home and so dill
gently schooled in vice on the streets are
not to blame if they reach manhood a
wreck, for the altar and home to them is
robbed of its divinity and spoiled of its
sweets. The fathers of this and other
cities are to blame. Why will they labor
from early to late to fill their children g
poke tbooks and leave their souls empty,
or worse, bespoiled by associations of evil
TO squander and lily use their toled for
estates. Oh! could the children who run
ut their drunken fathers step, the wife
who weeps at his coming, the daughter
who bewails her lot, move people to rec
tifude.
Is 1t the fault of the poor fellow who
reels in the street? No. OF the child born
in vice who falls? No. OF the young
man who becomes prey? No. OF the
poor unfortunate who bewails the base
ness of men, and of the scorn-not of
Christ, but of Christians (?) and of
women? No. OF the poor illiterate,
accustomed to kicks, vulgarity and abuse
of men? No. Or of the insane who is
incarcerated, or the poor trembling soul
tired of life. of its perddy, its woes and
oh, of Its base Ingratitude, infdelity,
hypocrisy, vice and desertion-one who
has never been told of Saviour's love
nor heard his voice saying, "Neither do
l condemn thee, - who in his lonely hour
sends a bullet crashing through his own
and anOther's heart? Is it his fault?
No. But oh, Christian, 1t lie your fault.
The blood of it all is on your skirts, n
the Word says, Ezekiah xXxviii-S:
'The wicked man shall die in his iniqui-
ty, tut his blood will require at thine
hand.'' 1t is you whom God holds re-
sponsible, who has known what q home,
friends and mother means. You, the
cultured aud intellectual people of Fort
Worth, who hold great fortune in your
pareutags AMI surroundings, your edu-
cation aud talents. Why do Christians
not preach the Word instant in season
and out of season. Why do you shrink
to send crashing home to vice the bullets
of Cody principles, example and duty?
Is it because Christians are so God-serv-
ing and man-fesring? Why is the small
duty ever neglected? A little attention,
a little word of hope, advice, cheer and
of love, might have saved your own
clerk, or son, or friend at the right time.
When will men cease to be content
with not doing evil themselves and
see that they are responsible for evil
they could prevent Others from doing.
See this city of 40. COO people with TO-
COO children TO grow into manhood and
womanhood and follow in the every
way of their fathers, and worse or
better ways, rs they are led by good or
evils about them. Yet will the members
of the common council, elected for the
protection and upbuilding of our city,
cater TO the lowest element of the people
III the interest of what-evil and evil
only. viii our good mayor, elected
with the applause of our best citizens,
put his foot on the monster sores of our
city, in the interest of morality, decency
and sober living? Will our attorneys and |
judges assist? Will our Christian BUSH
ness men wake up and attend council |
meetings and lend supporting hand, or
Will Fort Worth be handed over TO evil |
men and places? VIII variety theaters
and bawdy houses be confined outside the !