The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-04-29
PREACHER DRAWS LESSON
FROM THE NORRIS TRIAL
Characterized the Saloon as Being
Back of the Fight Against
Fort Worth Pastor.

In accordance with his announce
ment Saturday Rev A. G. Parker,
pastor of the Main Street Christian
church, delivered a sermon Sunday
night, the subject of which was:
THAT Fort Worth Farce, and Its
Moral Effects Upon the State" His
ideas on the question were given in
plain English as he promised he
would give them. A large audience
was present to hear the subject dis
cussod by Rev Parker He stated in
the beginning that he did not want
the people to think he was in any
way trying to be sensational and
that he was announcing sensational
topics, but he believed the minister
of the gospel had the right to take
of incidents, calamities
and things that happen to draw les
sons from that would aid In further
ing Gods cause, He said that he was
not member of the court of GRIM
inal appeals: neither was he pros
torney for the defense Of any one,
but he proposed to take the incident
which recently happened in q nea--
Nv city. and under God, he hoped TO
ID able to draw from 1T some les-
aons when w1uid be hrfpfus*in con-
sidering the great moral problems
that are confronting the state. He
said he thought he knew something
of Fort Worth: he thought he knew
something of the citizenship of that
place. He said some of the greatest
christians of the state of Texas live
in Fort Worth; some of the greatest
churches of the state of Texas are
in Fort Worth, but there is a great
element In that city that defy the
laws of God and the laws of man.
He said he had not always been
minister of the gospel, that he had
been an official OF a city and that
he knew something of the vices that
existed He said there were several
things that existed to make Fort
Worth one of the most wicked cities
in the state; that the voters in most
and cities of the state had
said by their vote 1--WE will not have
the saloon and the element that go
with it, consequently that portion
of the population was unloaded on
the cities of Fort Worth, Houston,
Waco, San Antonio and Dallas; that
Fort Worth was railroad center
and that the ''riff-raff" OF the coun-
try was left there.
He said Fort Worth was known
% being a wide open town, and
many citizens there glory in their
personal liberty--liberty to do any
thing under the sun---liberty that
would bring the blush of shame to
a decent moral man. He said one OF
t4e things that had done more to
stir up malice against Gods people
was one of the vilest and dirtiest
speeches that ever came from
mans lips.
Referring to the trial of DR.. ]
Frank Norris he said twelve good
men heard all the evidence, receiv-
tu lht SOQit Shdi &c dhA aieNi W
liberating something more than an
hour they returned verdict of not
guilty He said he believed DR.. Nor
ris was innocent of the charges, and
he wanted to congratulate him with
all his heart.
After commenting at some length
on existing conditions in Fort
Worth the preacher said the chris
tan churches we're face to face
with one of the greatest problems
that ever confronted religious peo-
pie. This Fort Worth occurrence, he
said, has revealed the fact that the
forces of evil are arrayed against
and are trying to
overthrow the kingdom of God. He
said we might be partially respon-
sible for conditions that exist in ci-
ties like Fort Worth in that We had
voted local option and as result
the saloon men and their satellites
hads gone to the cities. He said the
christian people ousht to go to the
relief of these places and help rid
them of the saloon He referred to
the recent state wide election, and
said there Is man going up and
down the state now saying let us for