The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-12

Mental Images OF the Young
Should Be Directed Alright.
Character Building Should Be Started Ia
Infancy-Largely Attended Meeting.

ciety for the Prevention of Vice, delivered
an address at the hall OF the Young Mems
Christian Association yesterday afternoon.
The capacity of the large room, which will
seat 45O, was taxed to accommodate the
number of men who desired to hear this
well-known parsonage speak on "Evil
Imaginations."
The audience of nearly 500 men was one
seldom seen together in Pawtucket, for
men of prominence in every line of busi-
ness and society sat side by side with their
employees. Many of the first named brought
their sons, and in point of age those pres
ent ranged from 15 to 60 years.
Seldom has an audience of this size in
Pawtucket given the close attention to an
address that was given by those present
yesterday afternoon.
Many of those present came because they
were accustomed to attendance at the
Sunday afternoon meetings of the associa-
ton; many came from curiosity; many
came to see the widely advertised enemy
of vice, and it may be confessed that sew
eral came with the expectation of hearing
something of a sensational nature. But
the latter class were disappointed, for the
speaker mentioned vice only in a general
way, and in some respects his address was
not what had been anticipated; but no one
could listen to his earnest words and leave
with any doubt of the speakers sincerity.
Anthony Comstock is not an orator, nor
is he gifted with remarkable fuency of
speech, vet his earnestness commands the
attention of his hearers. AT times there
-Lot RI n pair of
egotism, yet when the fact of the power
full opposition the man has overcome
through unfiagging perseverance, and the
obstacle overcome by the same method,
the pride with which he speaks of his
work is excusable.
The occasion of Mr.. Comstocks address
was the regular Sunday afternoon meeting
of the Young Mems Christian Association,
and at O'Clock, the time for the opening
of the services, men were entering the
building in a steady stream.
The services opened with hymn, after
which Rev. James III. Lyon, pastor of the
Central Falls Congregational Church, led
in PRAYER. After another selection had
been sung Secretary A. t. Stratton intro
duced Rev. Marion Law, pastor Of st.
Paul's Church, for the purpose of intro
ducing the speaker.
Rev. Mr. Law said as preface to his in
PRODUCTION: ~ walked the other day to
that section of our suburbs known as
stump Hill and as 1 reached the reservoir
and gazed on the extended view, thought
it would be hard to find more pleasant
prospect. Looking at the clear stream
that fed that reservoir j was assured that
Pawtucket has a supply of pure water.
Suppose for a moment that a man could be
found base enough to put poison into that
reservoir. what would be the result? Death
or sickness to large portion of the in
habitants of this city. The circulation of
bad books have the same effect-they are
poison, and their influence is deadly. In
this country we have many dangers. We
are not sure that our country will endure,
but we hope it will. Great floods of evil
literature distributed on the railroads and
from the newstands, particularly in the
West. In the East l am glad that some of
the railroads have taken the matter in
hand. Many of these books suggest evil,
and have seen the effects of their distri-
button. l rejoice that there is a society
that makes business of the suppression
of this sort of literature, and il l were a
millionaire, which it is probable never
shall be, would endow this society with
one half of that amount. We have with
us today q man who has fought alone and
| unaided for the suppression of evil, and
consider it a great honor and privilege to
be permitted to present Mr.. Anthony
Comstock, the Secretary of the Society for
the Prevention Of Vice."
Mr.. Comstock said in part "Mr. Chair
man, gentlemen and brethren: don't be-
lieve there is O man in this room that
1ftt1o child RI fall ~ h,
could prevent it. Whatever our individual
lives may be, there is manhood enough to
get between q little child and danger, to
save It from wild beasts, q mad dog or
whatever threatens q child. ! have the
proud honor of having served 1900, 900 Of
the boys and girls Of this country for 25
years, and hope to help you young men
this afternoon over some VI the hard
places. The worst to the young IL de-
fled Imagination. Character building be-
gins in early infancy. Many Of you New
England boys can look into your homes
and see q mothers face smiling down up
on you. / lost my mother when I was 10
years and 10 days old, and am now over
80 years of age; but whatever good have
done, or whatever honor have received, I
place the credit on my mothers grave.
"Happy is that child that has mothers
love. A parent is the divinely appointed
artist of the young mind. Afterward
comes counter influence, and It is this
moral leprosy that is to be considered this
afternoon. ! take Gods word as 1t Is
written, and in the 9Th chapter Of Geneses
IL is written: For the imagination of mans
heart is evil from the beginning"
The speaker then referred to many
biblical references In the line of his state
ments and continued: at is no wonder
that pompeii and Hurculaneum were
buried in ashes, for some of the recent ex-
cent excavations have proved that these
cities were morally decayed TO the core,