The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-14

Social Evil SGl1lSOlVaOls----SNl- ,lSsl
gytncil ID Demanded the liirpos-
sible--1Iow to Fight the Law.
Breaking Saloon. VI
BY al, Ex-Mayor Of One Of the the!
Largest American Cities les
.........., sBA CHEERS q the sensational
/ nY school A have wrought a in ny y
damage to the cause of m url-1t
hyl{f1fa clpai reform. Some Of them
8414H4l1 were known as headline par.
sons when III WIS Mayor, md after ter
several experiences with them = de-.
$veloped a large reApect for tho old ": I.
fashioned minister who simply "prea che t
The gospel In every u tys there are g
number of clergylnen who beeom
scnamored OF the glamou OF MOI oriety,i
They are those who go slummin 70
get what. they call local color ana llS
Hmatcrinls for highly seasoned serm on r!'
TOO often these pulpiters prac ti Ice;
become agents for the social CIVIL, rum
mers for Illicit trade. Not that theyI
know It, BIT the effect of their pulpit
l;lectures on what they call popular Sud "
poets is to direct the attention OF I'M
! questionable and willing youth to the
very places and things which ministers
OF the gospel should endeavor to & keep
from the knowledge OF their young peo-
pie. gs Va. & q. III
yield to no man In my aspect for the
church and It's mem bers,3 but can d or COM
Spels me to confess that I regards most
Of the ''headline parsons who flourished
during my administration with 4 feelings
akin to contempt. Their almost IN sane
desire for fame led them to say hose
things and do those things which SEE e.
riously retarded the progress 81 several 9,
reforms which were being ca rrled on along
practical NJ lines. Their efforts to
break into print, their ca gerness to see
their names In the head lines OF the Mon
day morning paper caused them to make
reckless z statements and sellsa tionali
charges, which. had l not adopted the
policy OF ignoring them, would have
taken all my time between Sundays 3de-s
Tending my atlministrati on.s At first,
these sen t1onal spreac hers stung me to
the quick and 4 + comniitted The error Of
making instant rep Fs Blu further ex-}
sperience with the class taugh 1T me how
to meet their hysterical charges with ST.
3lence.g ~ IL 5s Nv
d i first ran counter to these Sprea chers
VIXEN j ordered my chief OF lice to put
a stop to the pract OF Summing which
had become almost a. fad With s ONE of
our ashionables. And this sS order grew
out h ola request mad e by one OF the
most notorious Of the sensa tlonalS preac hl-
ers for a police escort for "a slumminE
party made up Of s himself and sixteen
young boys. IDe sal he wanted to
show these boys he seamy side OF life
so that his warning words and lessons
could be made more effective. told the.
police captain who brough t & me the
preachers request to form that gentle.
man that he could go Stun ming II he
chose, but II he took with him any
young boys ! would arrest him ana them
and lock them u p.$ 7 he minis ter's reply
to my message was a sermon In " hich
she fairly took the hide on Of me and
nailed It to his barn door. 81 "a
This little dent diverted my Q fficial
attention to Summing parties; and not
only was / surprised and dis usted.5 but;
actually shocked at the revel atoms made
by am investigations. ascertained that
young girls, presumably Ignorant of the
social evils, daugh ters9 Of prominent men,
often ere in stunning parties which
sought exciting scenes In the worst dis
|ftrcts OF Il the city. II also learn ed that
several parties Of earnest, sincere, "a but
misguided church women, anxious to save
their ttllen sisters, had actually tried
to hold rel gious services In disor derby
houses. ind tina t. In some OF these par
|sties were young girls not over ighteen3
years old. This was too much Xix 9 throw
| Ing helpless lambs TO the wolves, and II
stopped the practice, leaving that field
to the salvation Army whose SUM Sis
ters" nle vert table angels. OF mercy to
| the immortal women who are rcsid dent In
those #llsTeputable districts. llf3s
ny But while I could prohibit Summing
parties 81 could not stop the ~ head-l line
Sparsons'' from doing the slums' to get
characterization for their Sunday morn
| ing sermons. Here Is where such men
did harm they set O. bad example to
members OF their church; their graphic
word pictures of what they aw placed
before the eyes of innocent girls scenes
lBWliicllSao young person should see /; they
|advertiseu those sinks Of ainiqulty. But
|Emore than that. they attempted to build
I&ups a. public sentiment against an admins
E8istrd ton which was end eavoring I o reg
I8ulate aid supe rvlse an Il evil which has
l$been In existence from the beginning of
history and will be in existence until
lhistory ends. II ~
sSisIfSfoF were several CtIHIdiBliS h6fhi'ASe
| the social evil and saloons conducted by
sensational loving preachers during my
jmayoral career. Not one OF them accom-.
plishcd any material good simply be cause
)Itlie leaders were not sincere, hey were
|inspirod. Il not by pure motives hut hut; be- ~
/ cause of love OF notorlety. They were
sounding brasses and tinkling cynbals.
a feature Of one of the 4 aInpai gns was
4 tho employment Of the young men Of
4 the several churches to secure evidence
against saloon keepers and gamblers, Z
found myself wondering how many Of
tl,sse Young men were started then and
i thare on the road to ruin by the clerical
Headers OF that reform movement
Tie social evil is q problem which
every * mayor tries ito y solye-and falls.
The best he can Dc. ~ ~ res nlate "
Keen Keen II from spreadin into residence
dlstricts; keep II or the streets and do
ali this quietly. II often has. been urged
i that it IS a necessar evil, which should