The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-09-22
Social Conditions
in Large Cities
ByREv.cEoRcEw. meDANIEL,D.D.
Pastor Of First Baptist Church
Richmond, Va

this sermon. There are many sensi.
i've souls whom its plain language
may offend. They do not believe that
such subjects belong properly to pull
pit treatment However, speak be-
cause my conscience bids me. This
service Is the discharge OF q painful
duty. do I seek TO please men7 II
yet please men. / should not be the
servant OF Christ. The church men,
bers OF our city in their attitude to-
ward moral conditions may be grouped
In four classes. First, those who do
not know. They are good people, who
attend church They know nothing OF
the sin and shame OF the city streets
Where ignorance Is bliss II is folly to
be wise. Second. those who know.
but DO not care. They have no sense
or personal responsibility, since they
are not participants IN the wrong
Their chief concern is In taking care
OF self. Third, those who know, but
say they cannot change conditions.
Sin has always existed and always
will. The scarlet woman has been in
the world since the days OF Solomon.
II Is useless 10 attempt 10 purify city
life and improve social conditions
Whoever makes the effort is striking
his head against a stone wall Fourth,
those who know conditions, feel their
responsibility as citizens and Chris
uans and endeavor 10 remedy the ex-
listing conditions. They may not like
the crack Of my rife. but nevertheless.
] am determined to take the shot.
With this IN view I. accompanied
by an officer in citizens clothes, took
two walks down Broad street and saw
sights which blush TO mention. The
first was on Thursday night. the first
clear night after about ten days OF
rain. They had come out like the in
sects from under bark and sod. with
the first return OF the spring sun.
They swarmed the streets until Il was
difncult and. In some respects, dan
gerous TO walk. Girls resorted to the
back parlors OF italian confectionaries.
where they sat in suggestive positions
10 welcome and tempt whoever might
enter therein. An older girl, on evil
bent. led her little sister on her peril
Gus mission. Others whose lives dis
graced the name OF woman stood on
corners or marched braEenly down tho
street. Boys I'm knee trousers and
girls in short dresses we're out in the
darkness OF the night. when they
should have been Mt home. Washers
followed girls from block 10 block and
around corner after corner. and led
them down dark alleys. All OF this
and more / saw. Twas enough 20
make the head heavy and the heart
sick.
on the second night we visited the
moving pictures. | saw nothing OBJ
jectionable per Sc In the pictures. A
minister was present. and they would
be guilty OF no improperly. All class
es and conditions we're in attendance.
A dude, dressed in Prince Albert.
bloated faced sport and a weasley half
fed man were there. who bought tick
cts in rotation and entered one after
the other. Little children under ten
and haggled old women with bent
forms we're there. What have you TO
say about these shows? Two things:
First, they prove the text and demon
strato that the American people are
lovers OF pleasure more than lovers
OF God. On two blocks on Broad street
last Friday night more people saw the
moving pictures than assembled In
seventy of the eighty white churches
of this city. They lined the block and
backed up on the side street waiting
for admission and yet We say this is a
Christian city. Would that II were.
but many OF the church members love
the places OF pleasure more than the
house OF God. They are too tired to
attend the church on Sunday evening.
but can parade the streets and stand
for a long time and spend hours see
ing moving pictures and vaudeville
after hard days work. oh. con-
sistency. thou art Jewel!
Passing from the places of pleasure.
we saw young girls. whose mothers
thought they were IN no harm. enter |
ing automobiles and going on Joy
rides with young men who meant no
good. One OF the most demoralizing
agencies in Richmond is the automo- |
bile OF the son of the rich. II you
want to ruin your son, get him an au-
somobile. Not more than one out OF |
ten can own a machine without neg
lecting his business or injuring his |
morals. II the numbers of the ma
chimes that ride slowly along Broad |
street to entice young girls coming |
from the plays. or stand on Mayo and |
East Franklin streets after the mid !
night hours, we're published in the |
daily papers, they would strike many |
hearts with CONSERVATION, and arouse |
the rich to the danger OF their sons. |
II our papers want something sensa- |
tional call their attention to this field
OF investigation.
II is not pleasant for one to speak |
80 plainly about the deplorable condl- |
lions in the city that we love. but to |
keen silent is a sin. To submit with |
out a protest is to stife conscience |
and betray a trust. We boast of our
city as a churchgoing. well governed |
town. The conditions which / saw
convince me that Richmond is an ap-