The Washington herald., 1907-02-04
PEOPLE TO BLAME FOR EVILS
Rev. Mr.. COpp Declares Remedies Lie
with Those Who Vote.
In Sermon He Pictures Agents of Sin
and Suggests Methods by Which
They May BE Abolished.

Rev. Zed H. Copp, assistant pastor of
Bethany Chapel. in "a sermon last night
laid az the door Of the people the blame
for existing evils in Washington, decIar-
ing that evil rules by the consent of the
governed. " In this connection he drew a
composite picture OF the body polite.
likening it to an individual, the left side
Of whose face was full of determination
and insistence for its demands, while the
right side-representing righteousness
was passive, and registered its protest
by making "a WY face and winking the
other eye.
The Capital City, as the head Of the
nation is the observed Of all observers
throughout the country and the entire
world" declared Rev. Mr. Copp. Con
gress is simply national law factory,
being made by the people and enactng
the laws demanded by public sentiment
none better and. usually, none very much
worse. The President, the Board Of Com
missioners. and the police administer the
laws, after they are made. according 70
the sentiment Of the people in the COM
munIty. SO the blame, both for the en-
actment and the enforcement Of the law,
must be placed on the people themselves. %
The minister mentioned three signs.
First. be devoted his attention 10 the beer
and whisky signs that adOrn the streets.
They are disgrace TO our city he
declared What must the thousands OF
visitors 10 Washington think OF the Chris
tian sentiment Of Washington. of the
spiritual life OF our thousands Of church
members, who permit these signs Of sin
20 adorn our fair city,
As a remedy. he suggested an amend
meut % the license law. compelling their
removal and declared 1t could be secured
very readily.
Next Rev Mr. CoQp denounced in unmeas-
ured terms the exhibition and sale Of bad
books He asserted emphatically that DE
Iad stood on a street corner within the
past week and counted ia one window a
( score of books thai should never be- put
into the hands OF the young. This sign
was Illustrated from life most wildly by
Mr.. COpp, who is chief probationary Off
/ Ger OF the Juvenile Court, and has had "a
wide experience Ga work for the young
Any number If Instances, h- said. had
come u his personal attention where BOYS
and girls had been started on careers OF
crime and vice through reading bad books
He declared that the sale Of books could
be controlled rs easily as the automobiles
on our streets.
The third "slgn" was the '.Bowery u
/ Washington" This Rev. Mr. Copp explain
ed. applied 10 tho scent thc8ters and the
penny slot machines with moving pictures
as well as 10 the thr1ugs of young BOYS
and girls who wander a.mlessly mp and
down the streets Of Washington after
dark. The proposed curfew ordinance
was suggested IS q remedy.
It would Doe infinitely better" be shout
ed, 'to bring up our children in Puritan
zeal purity thau iH Roman RIGHTEOUSNESS. %
He told OF Instances where. in his work
with the Juvenile Court. it had been
necessary To suppress suggestive pictures
I'm the sl0t-machine establishments. which
are frcgUentcd largely by young and inn
pressiouable boys. He suggested root
gardens and other proper places 10 sue
coed these places.
Mr.. C0pp also discussed doors Of dam
nation The first. he said. is the the7ter
as il exists to-day. 1t is q kindergarten
Of vice and crime" declared the mirister.
owing TO the degeneration of the drama. "
He would remedy the evil by throwing
open the public schools I'm the evenings.
and providing stereorticou lectures on in
1 terest!ng topics for the people This plan,
he said, has been adopted in New York
and is so popular that the crowds cannot
De accommodated.
The second, be declared. is the saloon
He would establish an asylum for inebri-
ates after ab0lishiug the saloon. and re-
generate its victims
Next Sunday night ne win take the
other side of the question and discuss
Doors of salvation and signs of deiiv-
eTance In Washington