Evening journal., 1912-04-01
DIR. REED
APPEALS FOR
CLEANER CITY
Would Have Good Men Work
for Overthrow of
Civic Evils
PASTOR SPEAKS OF
LIQUOR SELLING CLUBS

Il have not known such apathy and
indifference in any city in the country
where the Men and Religion meetings
have been held as in Wilmington, "
said DR.. George Edward Reed last
night to an audience in which men
were greatly in the majority. which
| filled the auditorium of Grace Church
zone feature Of the meetings. the dis
cussion of social service, should have
interested every Citizen" he contin-
ued"
In mentioning the many active
forces for good in the city the
churches. Sunday schools, settle
ments, public schools, public library,
parks and Fairgrounds. police. etc. Dr.
Reed said: You pay little bagatelle
for the support of the juvenile court,
one of the best agencies for saving the
youth not one half what you ought
to pay. There ought to be house
of detention, and a room for the boys
to assemble from which adult Grim
inal lOungers are excluded and where
publicity could be avoided"
In the last nine years, Dr. Reed
said, there had been 1900 arrests
made in the city of Wilmington for
drunkenness alone. and many more
arrests probably due to crimes caused
by drink Dr. Reed said he could not
understand why the Coatesville ty-
phoid scare should have made such a
stir in the city. when greater loss Of
life and ruin of homes was caused by
drink.
Evidently you have licensed liquor
here because the majority of the vO-
ters desire it" he continued, but that
majority may have been manufactured
as other majOrities have been in Della
ware"
"There is saloon for every 20
men of drinking age" he added.
There are 20 chartered so-called
clubs selling liquors in Wilmington,
which are nothing but speakeasies
added to the list of licensed saloons" 4"
said the speaker. Your city judge
dismisses the cases brought before
him because he affirms these clubs do
not violate the law as they are fami-
lies. Familiesl Heaven save the
mark" eXclaimbed DR.. Reed.
DR.. Reed affirmed that these clubs
are selling liquor every day, Sunday
included, and that for % cents any
man may register as "A member and
get all the liquor he wants. Or. Reed
said a good deal of commotion has been
caused because one of the largest of
these clubs has been raided. He said
even City Council did not deny the
facts of the case. but seemed TO think
the arrests an impertinence and a
piece of impulsive conduct on the part
of the police as an unspeakable out
rage on the private rights of men and
women. There is not man in Will
mington who doesn't know why those
clubs were chartered. and the ques-
tiOn is whether the men of this city
are going to stand for law and order,
or allow these evasions of the law TO
go unchecked exclaimed the preach
er
The absolute lack of any regulation
/ except an age limit for pool rooms,
was another matter that should inter-
est citizens, Dr. Reed declared. He
I affirmed that City Council had been
asked but so far had not passed an
ordinance of regulation.
MANY of tIese pool rooms are oper
all night or until the small hours of
the morning and not a man in his
senses doesn't know the atmosphere
and influence in most of the pool
rooms" he said.
Dr. Reed said he was amazed at
the indifference to social evil in this
city.
He said he would not indiscrimin-
ately abuse the moving picture shows.
because he knew they were often a
powerful educational factor, but he
thought they ought to be watched. SO
far as he could learn, indecency was
not allowed in any films shown in To-
] cal playhouses, but the danger was in
! pictures showing burglaries, and
other crimes, which he said had the
same bad effect on the boys as the
blood and thunder dime novel
81 have been disgusted over and
over again at the cowardice Of good
men in the face of evil" DR.. Reed,
said, in concluding. The other side
are always bold and defiant, hence
they WELD men. No man Of civic pride
can stand aloOf as a disinterested
spectator in any conflict against the
forces degrading this community. He
should stand on the firing line and
back up the men who are working for
the overthrow of evil"