The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-30

Al the Fourth Street NJ. E. church
last night, the pastor, Rev. Or. J. L.
sooy preached on "Licentlousness; It's
widespread Prevalence" and he took
occasion to commend councils recent
action on questionable "hotel" licenses
The sermon was directed against ths
sin Of unchastity.
DR.. sooy first directed his remarks
against a certain class OF literature
that was openly displayed for sale ana
included in the category Of things to be
condemned was the lewd theatrical adj
vertisIng on the streets. The speaker
did not want to be classed as a Puri-
tan, but he thought there should be
more rigid obedience to the laws OF
chastity, which were, in a sense, vlo-
lated by obscene pictures Of actresses
displayed on oil sides. and by equally
pernfcious novels, The effect Of these
things was fraught with danger to the
growing child.
Speaking Of the unnamable social
evil, DR.. sooy said there were some
appalling statistics regarding the num-
bar OF fallen women, and 1t was lam
entable to note that in some quarters
there was an agitation to license the
social evil. He was glad that public
Justice sometimes asserted Itself in
dealing with fallen men, as was Illus
trated in the case of Breckenridge, OF
Kentucky. The devil Of lust and IL
centiousness was opening the gates OF
hell to too many souls. Continuing
along this line, DR.. sooy said per cent
Of the lunatlcs in aslyums had had DO
nestle trouble; lllegitlmate births in the
country were growing in number
frlghtfully; infldellty was at the bot
tom of nearly all divorce suits. Inn
purity and lndecency were flaunted
from the theatre footllghts and bill
boards, and from the news stands.
Society was to blame much for these
conditions, argued DR.. sooy. Society
dealt lightly with gross transgressions
Of social purity, and CLOSED over ro-
mances that were shady and shameless.
The sin of lmpurity haunts and har-
asses the soul through life Just as does
intemperance. It showed It's effects on
the physical life. DR.. Sooy said he
could read the signs of lust in the eye
and on the countenance Of the ilber-
tine. Their faces were as striking In
the story they told as the faces found
in the dens OF vice and infamy. The
lustful life could be seen on the face
of the man on the cars, who stared a
woman out OF her eyes, or the corner
statue. who nudged his companion as
some woman passed by. The faces OF
the llbertines were as bulletin boards.
The sin of Impurity was delicate one
to handle from the pulpit, said Dr..
sooy, but he threw out a strong note
Of warning against departing from the
sweet paths of purity. He said he was
not optimistic enough to believe that
the social evil could be done away With
by law. He thought the severest pen
altles should be administered to the Sc
Queer of a girls virtue. incidentally,
DR.. sooy said the council committee on
petitions and remonstrannps and the
majority of council deserved generous
praise for their action on the license
application OF 1.-THE fourteen" for ''hote"
licenses.
DR.. sooy also wanted to thank the
press of wheeling for Its stand on the
question OF licensing these Objectionable
places. To papers opposing the IL
censes much of the credit was due. In
further speaking of the social eviR DR..
sooy said Mayor Sweeney was not far
from right in his statement to the Fed
Grafton Of Churches that parents should
exercise more care in keeping their
children home at nights.
One great trouble with society was
that while the sin of the woman was
seldom forgiven--and never forgotten
1t was soon forgiven and forgotten in
a man. The dirty libertlne was often
the star In the society ball room, and
was spoken of harshly never more
than to have said of him that he was
a fast, gay young man. In conclusion,
DR.. sooy pleaded for purity.