The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-05-14
gained more BY losing than they dId by

But believing that all attorneys In
Oregon had not received a new revela-
tIon we wrote and sent the following
| letter.
Astoria. Ore. May 8, 1901 .--sllas b
| Smith. Skipanon. Ore.--Dear Sir: Will
you kindly answer the following ques-
tions. T. g.: lis the nlckel-in- the-slot
law Of 1901 1ow the law In Astoria
Notwithstanding the city charter? p
Can there be any reasonable doubt on
this subject In the minds Of learned at
| tOrneys?
"The following answer was received
| to the above letter:
"Rey. r. r. Rowland. Dear Sir: Your
letter NJ the 9Th inst az hand. In an
swer to your first question ! would saw
that In my opinion the Proebstel law Is
| the law In Astoria at present.
Your second question asks my opin-
ion ~ 10 whether there can be any
reasonable doubt In the minds of learn
! ed attorneys on this subject, which Is
rather difficult question to answer.
but ! should cay there ought rot 10 be.
Very respectfully
"SILAS 3. SMITH.
"Mr. Smith is a retired attorney OF
ability. former student Of Senator
before us It ls the manifest duty OF
this city to use every means In its pow
or 10 protect Itself from this vice. We
have In this state a law aglins. this
machine and Z ought to be enforced
The question Is altogether too import
ant 20 be ignored or passed ever with
out any serious attempt to enforce the
law Aside from the law-defying spir-
II Il has excited. aside from all moral
and religious aspects its effect upon
The future prosperity Of this city is one
NJ the most important that can b.
named. The avarice that buys up vir-
tue for gold and makes merchandise OF
vice must be foiled: the custom that
nuts the silken glow upon fhe Iron
hand of human greed abolished, and
the hand that shackles souls before thev
see the light cut Off The whole force
or Christian thought and action shouid
be brought 20 bear upon this evil. The
church ought to accept the challenge
thrown down 10 II and become the ar
tive antagonist Of all evil and the pro-
lection Of all the unfortunate. II II
cannot save the older transgressor who
Is confirmed IN his evil ways, let il
rescue the youth, the boys and the girls.
by closing up the dens OF lnlquity that
make vice and crime so easy to learn
How few there are who appreciate
or value the work Of saving the young.
This generation Is tramping on TO the
grave-we will soon all be gone. But
what Of the next? An engineer on a
locomotive crossing the prairies day af-
ter day saw a little girl come out Of
a cabin door and wave to him. SO
he got In the habit Of waving back
and /. became ihe Joy Of the day TO see
fhe little one wave while he answered
back. One day the train was belated
and il came on 10 the dusk OF the
evening. As the engineer stood at his
post he saw by the headlight the little
girl nn the track looking for the train.
wondering why the train did not come
and all unconscious OF her danger. A
great horror seized upon the engineer:
he reversed the engine. gave II in charge
Of the fireman. and then climbed over
the engine and came down upon the
pilot He said although he had re-
versed the engine II seemed TO be NOV
ing at lightning speed. faster and fas-
ter. though IL was in reality slowing up.
With almost supernatural clufch he
caught the child by the hair and lifted
IL uD and when the train s:opoed and
the passengers gathered around 10 see
what had happened. they saw the old
engineer had tainted dead away. but
the child was laughing and unharmed
in his swarthy arms.
"Oh. YOU say that was we'll done:
well. 1t is something like that. that the
Cody men and women of this
city are irving to accomplish
in their efforts to out down
evil. They are trying to snatch the
Young from under the wheels OF temp
tation and sin. trying to snatch them
from under laundering railroad trains Of
eternal disaster and to bring them into
resDectability in this life and glory in
the life 10 come.
When / see the evil NJ this in iis
worst form: when I wonder a. the
growing faith in money as the panacea
of olr Ills when I speak of the deaf ear
nt this Aeonle and behold a ci,v mis-
failing the MAY house for progress. and
nalaces Of vice for citv prosperity. when
see the smiling Indifference NJ the few
who attend Our churches while the
mary are drifting into evil when I
500 the Almighty hand gathering light
ningS in the heavens to let hose rp-
on the stronghnlds Of vice--a strong
agony cries out IN nv soul for men
who believe in God and have faith in
the mower nf righ' On ard down .his
world of work and worry the ~hrisr Of
Judgment is moving, Appealing for
hearts that do believe that the will NJ
'+Hd NAV ha do '~-h He calls
for mon who are willing to endure the
loss nf money and fling reputation IN
'"e winds that they may work with
Cod for the maintaining IF a moral a-d
Christian community. The social evi's
90 this citv could he str~aightened out
if al who believe IN God. truth. right
and law had the courage of conviction" !"