The Bryan eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1880-1913, 1911-05-18
CONVICTION MUST PREcE0E CON-
VERSION.

Theologians tell us that there can be
M renentance that is not preceded by
= Consciousness OF sin. To borrow the
praseology OF the late Sam Jones' De-
fore people can be induced 10 quit
tbair meanness and lead better lives
thew must be made to realize that tAeS
are sinners. The orthodox preachers
generally agree that this is their most
difficult problem.
The same principle applies to CIVIC
betterment. People must pc Droush'
TO realize that conditions are pad De-
fore they can he induced to make an
effort to improve them. 1t Is for this
reason that The Eagle so persistently
and pointedly breaches the gospel Oh
civic righteousness in Bryan, including
material as well as moral betterment'
Indeed. as we have all along contend
ed. there can be no permanent moral
reformation without a corresponding
change in material conditions
The physical condition OF Bryan Is
far. very far, from satisfactory. NOT
can II he otherwise until the people
tho great mass of the citizenship-are
brought TO realization of the evils
that exist. This, like that OF the
preachers, is a hard task. 1t can not
be accomplished by legislation either
state or municipal. 1t can only De
DINO nv education, and where there Is
only one teacher who stays on the Jop
the work is herculean. And even II
one had the power of the mythical
Greek demigod and should utilize the
whole volume of the waters OF the
Brazos in cleansing our Augean sta
bles, the effect would be only tenn
porary; in a very short time the hmai
accommodations would be as deep, as
dank and as noisome as ever.
few months ago the Civic League
announced the determination to MAZE
Rrvan a clean town. The city was dl-
vided into districts and committees
were appointed to superintend the
cleanup campaign. The work in some
parts was we'll done, though some OF
the vilest places remained untouched
The Eagle still honors these ladies for
their works sake.
But
The simple fact that while these
lines are written the writer has tc
stop ever and anon to fight the flies
the impudent, vexatious, pestllen'
flies. which, if not driven off, woulc
he all the time crawling over his face
and hands, tells the story. Flies are
an infallible sign of filth. They car
not propagate their species except II
filth and the fact that they exist il
positive proof, if there were no other
that filth is near. They are here, IL
the heart of Bryan, in millions, 1t 4
impossible to keep them out by screen
ing. They are in the grocery store
and meat markets, crawling over ant
leaving filth and disease germs on tn
food that we eat If Bryan We're no
bv nature one of the healthiest place
in the world, the population would b
decimated every year with typhoi
and other deadly diseases propagate
by flies.
The people of Bryan do not belieV
this. They are used to the flies, an
while they admit that they are ammo!
ing they think them harmless. Thi
ignorance and Indifference has co;
Bryan many precious lives, and, unit
the people are enlightened, the hat
full fly will continue to spread tn
germs of disease and death.
Some argue that the fly can not
exterminated and it is no use to tr
But it has been done in other town
It is asserted, and not disputed, tht
the mayor of Hubbard City keeps
standing offer of hundred dollars II
every fly caught in his town. In son
towns much larger than Bryan thei
are not one-tenth as many flies
there are here. This is because Il
people of those towns have been co
WINGED that the fly is not only nj
sance but a dangerous enemy of ma
kind.
A campaign of education is need
in which every public-spirited citiz'