Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-05
FOR DECENCY.
Mr. WILLIAM BLAKE, on NEW YORK
TALKS TO fHI 7. L. O. A.
Secret Sins and General immortality and In
dscsncy Touched up Before . Purely
Masculine Audience

The meeting at the Y. NJ. G. A. build
ing yesterday afternoon was out OF the
ordinary, but it was, nevertheless, full
of interest and useful instruction.
At four o'clock, the hall in the second
story was almost filed with young and
middle-aged men, there being number
of Y. M. c. A. men from Martins Ferry
and Bridgeport in the audience. The
Y. NJ. c. A. quartette was present to
furnish the music and the hymns were
sung with a spirit and dash that showed
that the singers hearts were In the
work. On the stage were, Mr.. William
Blake. Mr.. Hart, who was to introduce
the speaker and Reverends Dorn6iaser,
Lynch, w. Writ King, Birmingham,
Davis and Afford.
The meeting was opened by the Rev.
Mr.. King, who read the one hundred
and nineteenth Psalm, after which Rev.
Mr.. Davis offered fervent prayer. Mr..
Hart then introduced the speaker. Mr..
Blake, who is an extremely pleasant
speaker, and who has very pointed
and pithy way of putting things, rose
and said "Blessed is he that expects
little for he shall not be disappointed"
he said:
81 want You to think this afternoon
about the kind OF lives you've been lead
ing, and the kind of lives those about
you lead.
81 notice several churches in this vi
cinity and just below here it a school
house. We pay millions OF dollars every
year to keep up these two institutions,
and what for? To teach the people the
way they should live and TO fit them for
life.
"But according to our ideas OF schools
they are not for the teaching Of decency.
The teachers cannot speak OF these
things, because their classes are COM
posed of boys and girls alike. The
preachs cannot speak of these
abuses, and the association with
indecent persons Of the other
sex, because they have mixed
audiences. Fathers feel too squeemish
about talking to their boys about such
matters, and few OF them ever mention
it. Who will tell the boys about these
things? I'll tell you who'll tell Them
The boys will tell them. They meet
together in out Of the way places and
tell all about such things in the most
immoral and improper way.
"Men know that their sons must
learn OF these things, so why should
tn, be backward about telling
them In the most straightforward and
earnest manner. Why should they not
take their sons into their confidence aud
teach them to abhor these secret evils
the same as they teach them to shun
other sins. And mothers and female
physicians should do the same for the
daughters.
There's another form Of indecency
that is INDUCED and for which there is
no cause whatever. That is the smutty
story. You may say you can not help
it If others tell smutty stories in your
presence. I say you can. Now I'll tell
you how, and If you try it | assure you
the same person will not afliict you the
second time.
Don't come any goody good business
on it; don't let's have any can't IN this
work; don't say TO the man who tells
the story i an holier than thou A
look will do it all. When the filthy
story-teller approaches you, do Lot give
him any encouragement, and when he's
done, don't laugh. That is the most
effective way in the world to stop him
from attempting the same thing again.
He NAV say you don't seem to appre-
ciate my story Just tell him that you
don't, and l am sure he'll not bother
| you again.
''No man In this hall, or out Of 1t,
ever did an indecent thing without trst
having indecent thoughts. You may
say you can't help your thoughts; they
may be suggested by anything, or they
| may come without suggestion. That
is true, but you can cast evil thoughts
and unclean thoughts from your mind.
Suppose you'd meet a man tonight
who would propose that you rob bank;
that you become burglar. YOU'D KICK
that thought out OF your mind and kick
the fellow who proposed it out OF your
presence. Why should you entertain
any other sort of an unclean thought
any more than thought OF burglary?
"If lam not deceived by appearances
that I saw in the city last night, you
have here class Of young women and
| girls who walk the streets In the even
ings. | know you have them here; they
are in every city Of the size OF
Wheeling. Now, these young women
may be spoken 70 and will &C
cept your acquaintance without the
formality of an introduction and IL you
are at all backward about making their
acquaintance, they'll help you. Con-
corning these, have only to say; be-
ware; there is danger in the first move,
and it grows greater with each succeed
lug venture"
He that spoke at length Of the man.
ner which the sins o. the father shall
be visited upon his children unto the
fourth and fifth generations and men
toned the destruction Of Sodom and
Gomorrah. and Pompeii that were des-
troyed on account of the indecency Of
their inhabitants.
His talk throughout was intensely
interesting, and the entire audience re-
NAMED till he closed, though he talked
nearly an hour.
FALL and winter opening OF Millin.