The herald., 1895-04-01
A Los ANGELES PARKHURSI /
Rev. Knighten Wants the Authorities I,
Cleanse the Eighth Ward
President OF the Council Teed and nayo
RAIDER Criticized for Their Point Of
of View in the Matter

The Rev. Will Knighten de ivered dis.
course last night in Grace M. E. church.
| which was crowded to suffocation In the
course of his remarks he spoke as fol-
lows:
| have no personal enemies. The
officials of this city 1 know are nv
friends. l think we ought to calmly dis
cuss our morals, that is the city's morals.
| was first called by the property owners
and respectable people of the Eighth
ward to present their petition to the city
| council They were business men and
many of them voters and this movement
originated with them. l then presented
the petition. together with a set of res
olutions to the union mini isterial meeting,
body of about fifty Los Angeles MINIS
ters, representing nearly 10000 of he best
citizens of this city. They unanimously
elected me to represent them before the
city council and signed the resolutions
They represent intelligence, good morals
| good government. good politics and good
sense.
They are united and as sincere and true
as any body of men. | defend them as
my constituency in this case. The presi-
dent of the city council says that these
are impractical people. Why are they i'm
good morals? To defend the heart of this
city from the inroads of vauntng and
shameful disgrace? Is the defense Of the
rights of property an impractical thing?
Are the educational interests of 1900 or
1900 children to be hazarded by the lack
OF backbone OF some people on this great
evilP Are the people not practical? Is
the law not practical? Is the statesman
practical man who ignores the petition
of good and respectable citizens and ex-
cuses himself from his obligations as
their elected servant? Mr.. Kingery says
IL. h. -. r
enforced. Mr.. Pirtle thinks something
must be done. Are they impractical peo-
pie? The city attorney seems to think
there is a way to control the evil and re-
strict it. Is it true, as the mayor says, that
we are airing our own skeleton and injur-
ing the city by this discussion?
Who put the Alan eda-stre skeleton
before the eyes of the civilized world and
let the fair fame of Los Angeles show to
their astonished and startled gaze the
brazen and guilty stain of prostitution2
Did the press? No. Did the pulpit? No.
con put there and kept there by the au-
thorities, against the expressed will of the
best and purest manhood and womanhod
of Los Angeles The false cry of pure
morals will not deceive the clear-headed
eastern tourist, when he can see these
cribs for nearly mile from every car
window as he enters the city. Letting it
remain is public announcement to the
world that sin is here by the acquiescence
of the people, when from this time 1t is
not SO.
No man, be he Protestant Catholic,
Jew or Gentle, can wink at this evil and
not lose his self-respect or the respect of
decent neighbors. He cannot rent his
property without being partner in the
CRIME. He lives on and shares in the
price of souls. No man ought to hold
Office as a representative of the people
who so rents his property. because he
violates the laws he pretends to enforce.
No man ought to be member Of church
who rents>his property for such purposes,
because tits constant, open partnership
with the worst evil forbidden by the Ten
Com ,nandments OF God.
In conclusion, we ask the protection Of
the authorities.
The power is in their hands. If they
refuse to act, the case will be referred to
the civic league and taken up as poll
tical issue, non partisan, at the next city
election.