Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-15
PLACING THE RESPONSIBILITY.

remarkable meeting closed the
old year in church circles at Roches-
ter. n. Y. Hundreds of clergymen
were present. and an address was de-
livered by Clinton n. Howard, which
was adopted as expressing the ethical
standard for the new year.
The speaker took UP the drink evil
and maintained that it was the duty
of the pulpit to close the saloon. How
can this be done? The speaker said
In part:
II lay the responsibility for the
moral condition of any city upon the
moral leaders of that city. the APP
pointed guardians of morality. In
Rochester / lay IL upon you. III the
preachers are not Responsible for the
morals OF town then the doctors are
not responsible for It's health and the
merchants are not responsible for its
wealth. / do not mean by this to ex-
cuse my own or any other citizen s
responsibility. But / place the res
possibility in the first Instance upon
that organized body OF men who have
both the commission and the power
to secure these ethical ends.
THE disapproval of the ministers
has written '23' over the door OF the
nickle show business In this city, by
the confession OF the proprietors. 1t
may be laid to the sunday closing. but
It Is we'll. A business of that charac-
ter that cannot live except by its Sun
day patronage is better dead than
alive. The official attitude toward
the Sunday show business in Rochester
has been fixed. And how much of a
battle did it require? Why not even
a skirmish, 1t did not cost you a hair,
or wink of sleep nor an ounce of
flesh. What would happen to the
greater evils in the city IL 1t cost you
more? We preach and sing and pray
about the power OF His blood. There
IN power IN His blood because He
was willing to shed IL. And there Is
power in your blood on the same con
dition. You may never have to. but
when you are willing to, there will be
something doing in Rochester"
Woe be the conservative men of
today If John the Baptist should reap
pear in this generation. Any man
for example who could speak for ten
years in a city with 500 rum shops de-
voted to the violation of the law, the
destruction of character and to out
raging the home and childhood. who
did not make sensation, would be
entitled to a decoration from the
Brewers association.
tine present ethical, revival to es-
tabllsh a permanent standard OF civic
righteousness here that win insure an
impartial and rigid enforcement OF the
excise laws we now have,
TT ought to brand the politician
who uses his power to shield the law
breaker, and to secure him immunity
when he persistently violates the law,
as a greater criminal than the man
who breaks the law.
1T ought to mark the public official
who VIII violate his oath of office on
the demand OF such a political lead
err whether to subserve the interests
or his party. to promote his own pol
itical ambition, or for any other cause,
as worse criminal than the ward
leader. | insist that the man who
breaks the law is less to be censured
than the official attitude of the exec
utive which permits him to break 1t
without fear OF the consequences.
THE public officer who takes upon
himself the solemn obligation 10 an
force the law should familiarlze him
self with the law. He should not
walt for some outside organization or
some private citizen to call his at
tention to It's provisions or its infrac-
| tons.
II believe that wherever and when
ever ana by whomeyer such nomina.
| lions. of men who are allied to the
| saloon. are made In this city the pul-
! pit and this united body OF Christian
! ministers ought TO call public atten-
| ton TO their unftnes for public Of
| fee"
| IT will be noticed that the speaker IA
not afraid Of Interference by church
men upon the affairs OF the commun.
ity.
He may overestlmate tho influence
OF the pulpit, but he does not exagger-
ate the obligation of protested teach
ers OF morality TO combat the social
evils.
In our own City the saloons and
kindred places of business occupy the
very center OF the business district
And worse, some OF the occupants OF
pulpits have at times preferred n pol.
itlcal alliance with that element. TO co.
operation with decent citizens In IN,
interest OF public morals II Mr.
Howard is right in placing the respon
slbility for the moral conditions or ans
city upon the pulpit. some or our owI
preachers have their heavy burden I,
carry.
There Is an ethical revival all owe
the country shall bigotry be allow
ed TO prevent an awakening hero
where reforms are very much needed