The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-17
IS RALEIGH A SODOM2
Are There Eighty Houses Of Ill
Fame Here?
DIR. SIMS SAYS THERE ARE
So-Called Christian Men Rent
These Houses.
ELDER COLDS ABLE SERMON
Rev. Neil Anderson breaches al me
Presbyterian Church and Adj
dresses the Y. NJ. c. A.
Meeting.

dresses the r. I'VE. ~ ~
Meeting.
Raleigh is church-going city. Sun
day was no exception to the rule. The
people turned out. At Christ church.
DIR. Bronson spoke of the Thompson
Orphanage. DIR. Daniel filed Mr.. Tut
ties pulpit so that he could preach at
Auburn. Elders Gold and Bodenheimer
preached at the Primitive Baptist
church.
HOW FAR AN / RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE SIN ABOUT ME?
"a sermon preached by Rev. A. NJ.
Simms in the Tabernacle church last
Sabbath night and published by re-
quest of the congregational
Mr.. Simms started out by saying the
sermon grew out of the one preached
last week in which he alluded to the sin
in Raleigh. lie wished tonight to "a
rouse the conscience and instruct the
Judgment of his people.
There was one point on which all
people were agreed, and that was, that
we were responsible for our personal
acts Hence if a man kills, steals
poisons, or sets a trap for aaother.s
injury, the common agreement among
men was that he was responsible. But
does responsibility stop with our per-
sonal transgression of the letter of the
law?
He thought not, and would show
from the word of God that it did not,
After calling attention to a ministers
solemn duty to instruct his people a.
bout impending danger he quoted
Psalms 50.18 in which God charged his
people with the sin of consenting with
thief when they saw one. To consent
to any sin was to be guilty. Then he
quoted / Kings 81 TX 20 showing that
God charged Ahab with the murder of
Naboth, though Jezebel had guiltily had
it done. Ahab knew of it, accepted
the act and shared in its benefits.
This clearly showed that a person
who, as landlord, rented his proper
ty for lewd purposes. and got the gain
thereof was consenting to the iniquity.
In answering the objection, that
property is rented by agents and hence
the owner knew nothing of it, he de-
elared that it was a landlords duty
to know for what purpose his property
was rented. and that responsibility
could only end when due diligence to
find out had been shown.
The principle, that consent to evil
involved responsibility, applied TO all
the uses to which a mans money or
property might be put, as stock IN an
unjust business-usurious business
or one that oppressed the poor.
mans property represented thought,
muscle and thrift, and he might not
project himself behind an agent and
excuse himself. Then lie alluded to the
fact that Christian men and women
$. the city were renting their property
to purposes of sin and shame.
He proposed to clear his life OF their
sin bv warning every one in his congre-
cation in the fear of God.
In closing this part of the subject
he alluded TO the fact that while the
law recognized the guilt Of the man
who would let a bandit use his house
as a rendezvous and from it shoot down
officers Of the law, and while it held
the man responsible who knowingly
furnished poison for deadly deed,
vet our Supreme court over-ruled some
-
the property holder was made respon-
eible for the use of his property for the
grossest immortality.
But we are to be judged by heaven
law and not by the rulings Of an earth
ly court.
Deut % s was quoted for the prln-
ciple of responsibility to landlord.
Did God care more for mems snihs
and ribs than he did for their morai
welfare. Does not such care Tor Inc
body indicate increasing care Tor the
moral life The peace OF a home ana
the character of its sons was certainly
more in Gods eyes than theman's body.
The principle is that if my property y
in such condition that IL endangers my
neighbor, j am responsible.
No such houses of shame We're allow
ed in Israel. Duet. % II.
He then made the point that guilt
was upon us If we did not rebul<e the
one who Is in sin. Lev 10 II last clause.
We must rebule the participants and
the property holders who were bene-
feiaries. Iii was the duty of each
truth loving citizen to rebuke them. IL
was the duty of the churches and of the
community. Guilt could not pass from
ms until we had done SO.
The last point made was that we are
guilty of the sin about us if we shut
our eyes to it. Then he quoted from.
Lev. 20 4 5. when the Lord said he would
turn his curse upon the judge or peo--
pie who shut their eyes to the SIN OF
the land. We must therefore either
rebuke the sin and stop it. or we must
expect the judgment of God to come
upon us.
For the existing evil there are two
remedies. One is to get Legislative
enactment whereby community may
he empowered to act IN its own de
Tense. This is hard to get and is almost
a hopeless case. The other remedy, 9
heaven given one and belonging to at
people-is to arouse community sentI
nent until no landlord will dare REM
property TO such characters. This We
can do and ii is the duty of every mar
and woman in the city who regards