The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-08
CIVIC HONESTY
IS PRIME NEED
4 SUCH Is CONVICTION of REv. +. L.
WELLS, PASTOR OF BROAD
STREET N. E. CHURCH.
4 SERMON TO BOOSTERS
\ civic INTELLIGUENCE AND CIVIC
uNSELFisHNEss ALSO uREGED
BY MINISTER IN HIS
ADDRESS.
SERMON TO BOOSTERS


The best wayzte boost our city is
+ for every upright man 10 give to his
: city civic honesty said Rev. Frank
l.. Wells, pastor of Broad-stfeet Bap-
list church, in II sermon last Mgr
10 city boosters. suggested by the
parade and subsequent demonstra-
hon at the City Auditorium last Tues
day night.
THE upright man. said Mr.. Wells,
Is Rtchmond's best booster. for II he
is entitled TO be called an upright
man. he is honest through and
through. just as honest when he
islands at the ballot box as when he
comes to the communion table"
Hits Tax Dodgers.
Mr.. Wells criticised tax dodgers Sc
vereiy Said he: Il wonder If 1t be
true of Richmond, az we are told 1t
is true of some other cities. that If
all who have reputation Tor honesty
In their private enterprises would pay
honest taxes we could get many much
needed cisic improvements, could pay
our school teachers better salaries,
and materially advance our city along
many lines. A tax dodger may be
shrewd, but he Is not honest. whether
his tax be one dollar or ten thous-
and
The commandment, thou shalt not
steal" the preacher argued, re
=feTs to Il street tar ride as much as
to the theft of Il million deiiars.
He declared that it was just as dis
honest to steal from corporations as
from individuals
Civic Intelligence Needed.
The need of a keen civic Intelligence
MAS advocated. And the civic In
teIligencc of the upright ought To ex-
rtrE In IN MI
public opinion for the good al the
city. The trouble is in the fact that
SO many people who know and be-
iieye are indifferent TO her welfare.
believe there are enough upright
citizens in Richmond TO give as any
needed reform. II they will only
arouse themselves from their iethargy
and get busy with the task
Civic tHseifishness.
The upright citizen viii exaH our
city by his civic unseiashness, In
other words. he win have civic pa
triotism that viii relate his work.
hts profession, his business TO the
public good when Kossuth visited
America, he said If shipwreck should
befail your country. the rock upon
which 1t will split will be your de-
sotion To private interest at the ex-
pense Of the State1-Men- ahn- Mash
their hands OF public affairs are as
guilty OF mtsruie as the men who are
IN politics for revenue only"
Looking ahead" To the time when
the new form Of government will be
in use In Richmond. Mr.. Wells said:
THE call ~ coming with stronger
and stronger emphasis In our Ameri-
can cities for men Of mature BUSH
ness experience and ;rraproachahle
character to take places of honor
AID fss x.-tss~ttt
the city affairs This conviction rs
growing On the public. Think what
IL win Jnean for our American cities
when their great leaders in industry
and business are willing Ia sacrifice
their personal interests Ia serve their
city, And l. believe we can get such
Tnen for ali our cities If we can get
- iis..- participation f,ofttty-a;
affairs OF constituency who Will APP
preciate such services and back mp
their efforts. And | like to believe
that when the time comes we viii
find men in Richmond big enough tn
he willing To forego u few years of
money ma king in order To give their
mature business Judgment and ex-
perience to their city in filling the
offices in the new form of our city
government"