Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-15
REV. DR.. A. B. RIKER'S VIEWS
Of the Celebration Of the City's Cen
tennial Anniversary.
A Vigorous Protest Against Hold
ing 1t in a Beer Garden"-A For
chile Talk from the Pulpit Of the
Fourth Street M. E. Church Last
Night.

Rev DR.. A. B. Riker entered a vigor-
Gus protest against the proposed CEN
tennial celebration at Mozart Park from
the pulpit of the Fourth Street M. e.
Church last night The subject of his
discourse was-"A protest against hold
ing the celebration of the centennial of
the founding of the city in beer gar
den" In his Introductory remarks. he
said it caused him a sense Of pain, when
in observing the requirements of con-
sclentious duty, he was called upon to
speak against anything which was done
by his fellow citizens. But he felt that
some voice OF protest should be raised
against the celebration of the city's
centennial in a beer garden" He
chose for his text-"And there was a
deadly destruction throughout all the
city, l. Sam. Gil.
tie referred briefly to the important
event which is about to be celebrated,
and said that no generation can do a
more honorable or proper thing than to
give special emphasis to the achieve
ments OF their predecessors. We do
well to remember the Fourth of July,
the nations natal day. We do well to
remember the day on which the Father
OF his Country first saw the light. We
&c we'll TO set apart day for the cOm~
memOration of the deeds of valor by
the soldiers in the late war. This occaD
sion is also well worthy Of a celebration.
Our City Council ought to take hold of
the matter, to make it a holiday worthy
of the city. IL should be a day for in
terchange of ideas and happy sugges-
lions.
The city, in its civic capacity, has
cOmpassed the greatest century in the
worlds history The speaker dwelt
at some length upon the achievements
and triumphS of the last hundred years
When Wheeling became a city Wash
ington was President and Napoleon just
entering into prominence. He spoke Of
many cOntemporaneOur events in his
tory. The telegraph, railroads and
steamboats, were then unknown. He
referred also to the rapid forward
strides in religiOn-the organization of
Bible societies and the missionary
movements of Professionalism.
1t is now proposed to carry an event
which is characterized by so much i'm
portance to all the people, to a place
where a Christian cannot conscientious
ly go. There are in this city $50 cen
ters of immortality of the worst char
acter, from which 90 out the seeds Of
broken VOWS. and broken homes, and
broken hearts; and towering over all are
the two beer gardens Of which Wheel
ing can boast. Either one does ten
times more harm than the saloons.
Powerful engines for breaking down
the Christian Sabbath, for breaking
down the hopes and ambitions of years
in the Christian homes. Some say this
is not a beer garden. it is a beer gar
den. Ii is nothing better. 1t exists for
the sale Of beer, it has no other object,
and that is its characteristic feature
If there is any difference between the
two. the one which audaciOusly named
itself after the pure and sanity Mo
art has an added infamy attached to it.
1t is enough to make him turn over in
his grave, and his bones rattle with
holy horror. that an institution with
so much diabOlism should be named
after him. I don't know where they
could so in history for more inapprO-
PIRATE name. They might just as well
have called it the John Wesley, or John
Calvin. or John Knox beer garden. Yet
this city is going to celebrate its CEN
tennial in such a place. l desire to
enter a protest against any such desc
Grafton of the historical event
No other city would do it. Cincinnati
is not Heaven. yet Cincinnati would
not dream of celebrating any event con-
nected with its history in a beer gar
den The people are a little too high
up for that Chicago and New York
are wicked cities, yet neither would do
such a thing My text speaks of the
deadly destruction" l will tell You
what is the deadly destruction in this
city. The saloon is not the worst
thing. 1t is the cOwardly sentiment
which permits the saloon to dominate
and control and influence everything.
The saloons are rampling over the
homes Of this city on their way to de
struction. And now we propose to put
the stamp of the city's approval upon
this death-dealing devilishness. We
are going to set up an altar to Gambri-
nus on the Odd of July. and cry out,
"Gambrinus is king There is noth-
ing which can imagine that will give
an Illustration to add emphasis to this
sad spectacle.
Don't 90 to that celebration. Put
the stamp Of your individual indigna-
tion ON the matter. In the name OF
the school children and the Sunday
schools of this city, hope that move
ment may be inaugurated TO establish
q mark which shall be pure and free
from the influence of the saloon.
The Third Presbyterian Church..
nicnic will be held at Belmont Park,
near Noundsyille. on Thursday next
The picnickers will be taken TO the
grounds by boat. which will leave the
La Belle landing at a. N.
Butter. Butter! Butter!
Fresh creamery and dairy butter at
Fi+sgibbons' butter store, 1105 Market
street i'm Rehm's meat market