Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-01
OPPOSE THE CHANGE.
Richmond Ministers Preach Against One
Of The Proposed Charter Amendments.
THEY UPHOLD CHIEF HOWARD.
hrs. wright, Landrum, Cooper. Pitt.
sIcdd, Nnndcrslice. and Young, ana
u., ucs.rs. Christian, Moore, and
Diners speak Along This Line.


Interest in the proposition to so amend
,r. city charter az TO make the Chief
al Police elective by the people. instead
p Dv a commission. as now. is Oh the
I...,ls.. The subject was discussed from
many of the Richmond pulpits on Sunday.
majority of the Baptist and Methodist
pastors. either in their sermons. or In
remarks PREDATORY thereto, commended
,lIff-sf-PoI.ce Howard for his efforts TO
..r.rtss sunday liauor-selling and gam
L.... ana urged the Christian people to
stand together and meet the effort t.
ll,e The charter amended. so far as 1t
..rlcs 10 this office Some pastors who
GIL! not touch upon the question at issue
.n direct terms did so indirectly. Brief
extracts from some OF the most notable
sermons OF the day are given below:
Plea for Good officers.
r,y. Dr. W. /. Wright. of Leigh-Street
BAPTIST church. preached in the morn
... from. The text Render unto Caesar
t.c things that are Caesars" After set
trc forth that Il was proposed TO effect
. Iitit-t li the dN NliNiSliHttpn Oh our uiO-
i...II AFFAIRS. he said:
d think n IS Our duty first OF all. TO
s.,c our city government a good Caesar.
Oh good executive officer, 10 administer
osr affairs. God holds you just as re-
s.IrsIulo for the use Of your vote as he
Dr"s for the use Of your money and your
influence. Secondly. / think 1t is our duty.
u here is q bad man in Office. to see
,h.t De is removed. by the way. there
8, rule. I am told. in the mail service
rat the employees must nay their debts.
M such as do not DO SC are discharged
] U.sl that this could be so with reference
tl our city officials, also l DO not speak
90 jAc man who is unfortunate, but Of
Oh. one who draws sufficient salary
,ho lives I'm luxury, while his creditors 20
l.iiid. such a state Of things is dis
arac" % our civilization on this point
therefore. when We have a man in office
whose example Is bad. who appears in
1ra streets under the influence OF liquor
whose debts are unpaid. who does not
properly care for and turn In the citys
funds. IL is our duty 10 remove such an
one
"i}ut. on the other hand. when n man
is 10 office who is doing his duty. we
should support him. Has our Chief Of Po-
Zee done anything that he is not required
ly law to do? Well. II he is doing his
duty. what is the matter? Who Is raising
an this hue and cry?
What has gotten to be the matter
with our charter? Shall | tell you?
WHAT THE TROUBLE Is.
The whole cause is that the Chief Of
Police has stopped liquor-sellinE on Sun
Say. and the gambling. and the upper
story unclcanuess There have been
rcyoral other things Jumped into It to
aelp the appearance: but ] have told
goa Just where the trouble comes from.
And, now. shall tell you secret? The
saloon men Of the city have said. we
are going TO have Chief OF Police
who viii suit us prominent saloon
keeper said 10 a policeman the other day.
W. are going 10 get man I'm Office who
won't give YOU SO much trouble about
this Sunday business, The chief OF Po-
lice g. an officer whose tenure Of office
Is unlimited. and therefore. the saloon
men wish to change the charter and get
the office In the hands of the dear peo-
pie. They claim 10 he the friend Of the
workiigmau And in connection with
This. let me say that ! saw in "A book
the other day five or six receipts for
Iuuting liGuOr by means of strychnne
acl concentrated I've. etc; and, do You
know that one half the cases OF delirium-
ir-mens that occur come from the use
u these adulterated fluids? Yet. the
i0on-kctytT claims to be the friend OF
IAc nottingham. IL IS a lie: for he sells
him bad liquor and charges him ten
,t.ces for IL. But they Will say; Haven't
.h. people got sense enough To know
what they are voting for?' The people
whom the saloon men propose may have
sense enough, bat are they good
enough? For my part. | am willing 10
off
that 1 am not capable TO nil. | am not
capable - srltc; a man TO be your Chief
A. the Fire Department The choice OF
s.lh officers should BE- left with men
whose duty II is 10 look into the qualih-
cation necessary for such an officer, and
thus only can We secure an able ana
uaDorrYrtcl set OF city officials. ! do
pot hesitate TO say, therefore. that there
.r. some Offices which ought not 10 be
a' g Boy the people. We have tried that
thing down I'm North Carolina. where
am from, and where judges and all
az, elected by the people; and l de-
clare to YOU that sometimes We got
into Office q man who was not fit TO pre-
SID, over a simple court of justice.
GOOD PEOPLE STAY AT HOME.
"a police justice ought to be elected
because be is a true man. a sober man.
...4tl. man. Years ago this arrange
...t wis made like we have ii now TO
e.t 90, election of such officers out of
politics. and yet II is. If you will notice
90. ar.ri this department-thc Police
Departs. ut-that the main attack is
Htt. The chief Of Police, the Police
Comm sioners, the Police Justice-these
.re Three Of he Offices which 1t is de-
sized 20 have filled by the people. 1t
would Be- "a sad case If the judge had 10
e. down 20 the very criminals upon whom
A- Als SO often ga, IN judgment ana
-sk log votes. do believe that II the
-.oi people Of the city We're well inform
oil on this subject they might put
l the best men: but 1 am afraid that
OBJ" cool people. the best people, the
busy people. Will stay at home
Hr Wright spoke OF the influence the
~ slllou-men in Richmond could exert
O.. using so or SlOJ each ;Or the purchase
.f votes. and continued:
How many men are there that hang
Ild the bar-TOOms whose votes can be
'-rfl,. ty thc saloon-keCpers? | asked
gentleman the other day who is we'll in
formed and be said. About twenty each
Seven thousand votes which VIII counter
a0r the votes of seven thousand intelli-
cent upright citizens! l despise the say
!r TO the victor belongs the spoils.'
% but another way Of say
irr Might is right. and TO the thief
t..lrss The chickens / want TO see men
li Office who have not gotten there by
dirty work. And. now. l guess some OF
y'l viii say you have heard a good deal
a' lt Church and state to-day. No. but
you have heard a good deal about the
? iaou- keeper trying TO get The city gov
eminent into his hands And. although |
49, 10 fayorer OF Church and state l
p 4 rather have the Church and the State
Cd nj a.. H.