Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-30
DARKER NORFOLK"
Sermon by Rev. [, R. Christie at
Sturgeon Memorial Church.
Text. Prov. 20, 2. "when tho Right
cous nro IN Authority tho People
isrJ"ice. bus When tho wicked
Bcarcth Ruie tho rcopIo Mourn"


in Sturgeon Memorial Baptist Church
Sunday night filled the edlfce to over
flowing with eager listeners, and num-
bers had to be turned away, being I'M
able to gain admit.ance.
AT the close of the sermon Mr.. Chris
tie asked who would help to make Nor
folk better city, and In response the
whole congregation stood on their feet.
Text. Prov. 29:3. when the Right
eous Are in Authority the People Re
joice. but When the Wicked Beareth
Rule the People Mourn"
Mr. Christie said: II confess 1t is
with some trepidation that I have VEN
tured TO speak tonight In this connec-
tion, not because fear the multitude.
but because Vt may have upon Its face
the appearance OF cheap sensational
ISM. IL mas not been my purpose to
take this stand for any such sinister
purpose, but in the interest of virtue
and righteousness III the community.
Before proceeding it may be Nell to
discuss briefly how far the churches
are divinely authorized to go in this di-
rection. There Is one extreme which
asserts that the Churches have nothing
Whatever to do with the adminstra ton
or government and that it's end can BE-
properly subserved only by maintaining
absolute silence regarding It, There Is
the other extreme which advocates such
union of the State and the Church as
Will make them patrons CT each other.
one OF these extremes Is as faulty as
the other. One fails TO measure Up TO
the proper standard as much as the
other overstcps 1t. The IDEAL citizen
ship and the province of the chur hes Is
between these two radical extremes.
The churches are in the world for
the discovery and the correction of the
evil very largely If Herod sits upon
the throne, we need John the Bap-
fist to denounce his infamies.
The fact deserves to be noticed that
the churce es and The State alike deal
with individuals The same individuals
that compose the churches compose IN ;
State. No one would deny the duty of
the churches to eXhort their members
to honesty and purity In home life. in
private life. in business. In politics AS
1t is the duty of the church to commend
this virtue. 1t is equally its duty to
condemn the corresponding one OF vice;
and in our. discussion tonight should
we make any criticism, the criticism
Will be directed against the official in
dividuals. This. it seems to me. the
province of the Church
1T has be n said that the duty of
the Church is to work out refOrma-
ton by char ling the morals of the in
dividuais. This is our purpose, yet we
shall do this by seeking to remove these
immoral srrroundings-in a word by
acting rs we'll as speaking
Il have been st.ll further assured
that no decisive Steps along this line
Will be taken until the existing facts are
laid bare before TIE putlic. If the ac-
tual condition OF thugs was generally
known 1T would create a sentiment of
determination that would completely
deNour the adversary. If the good wo-
men of this city know of the terrible
vices that are cstranging them and de-
stroying their husbands. brothers and
sons, they would rise up Phoenix-like
and demand a revolution.
with this conviction, determined
to take glimpse at Darker Norfolk "
and, consequently, after The services of
last Sunday night made n change in
my wardrobe and star cd on q tour of
inspection through the city.
Going down Queen street, our first
objective point was the bar adjoinine
the Ballentine Arcade, on Church street,
We reached position Of intelligent Oh
servation by going up the dark lane in
the rear of this place of business. OF
course. the bar VAS closed. Upstairs.
however, was n crowd of contemptive
whites and blacks, whose movements
could be clearly distlngu shed through
the windows slightly raised. 1t was a
molly crowd of gamblers. Their oaths
and filthy cries made the night hideous
and. let me declare here, my hearers,
that a gambler Is a thief at heart. be-
cause he filches from another that for
III. u. l. ol.Nr-
.Who runs this place? Do you
know? I will not call his name. He is
the big Fourth Ward politician. Now
you know him. An official sometime
ago, in discussing the political problem.
said that this man carried the Fourth
Ward in his pockets. When he takes
snuff the Fourth Ward sneeZes. There
are some good people in the Fourth
Ward. Most of those who have not
moved away arc dead. The balance
ought to move away or die one. If they
are going to permit q man like this to
put q ring in their nose and lead them
around whenever he Wills. Yet all his
heelers are not in that particular sec
ton. Nearly all the office-holders in
this city are under obligations to this
man. The Police Department is his
steadfast friend.
1.-The Chief ventured Ito champion his
cause enough in talking with me, in the
presence of the Mayor sometime ago
to say that he never gave the Police
Department any trouble. I don't Won
der at it. They don't want any trouble
There is not likely to be any trouble
as long as they permit him to perpe-
trate his lawlessness unchallenged.
1.-THE next place discovered was al
the corner of Queen and Church streets
The upstairs was resonant with the
voices of the dusky populace, which
gave evidence that Norfollk's popular