El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-15

Not What is Said, But What
Exists is What is Hurt
ing Ell Paso Most
STRONG TALK BY
REV. P. J. RICE

After all, IT is not the expOsure that
hurts the city so much as 1t IS the
facts exposed. II there are no condi-
lions OF wickedness. no evils lurking
behind quasi official protection. the
exposure only becomes & boomerang, de-
stroying the organ which makes the
exposure"
This was the declaration or Rev Per-
~ J. Rice at the First Christian church
Sunday evening. following It up with
the further declaration
Saloons, run in open violation Of the
law, hurt our city; houses where scarlet
women congregates from whose nefa-
rious acts not even the youths are pro-
tected, hurt>Our city; the presence Of q
large element Of professional gamblers,
filling our hotels and rOOming houses
and openly talking Of their i'll gotten
gains, hurts our city The ample ad-
Vertising the races get upon the street
cars, and in papers. hurts our city
The secret gambling that is un-
QuestiOnably going on at various
places in the city hurts our city; the
procession OF thieves and thugs who
come in the wake Of the gam and
who enter our homes, often to despou
them Of treasures which money cannot
replace, and who Waylay our citizens
upon the streets under the cover OF
City Is Being Hurt.
That our city has been and is being
hurt by the presence OF such people.
no unprecedented person can for a mo-
ment doubt
a4One need not wait to be convinced
by specific eases OF the evil conditions
that exist. Everybody knows that the
saloons, the scarlet women. the gam
blers, the thieves and thugs are All here
and in far too great numbers TO permit
Indifference.
Citizens Forced to Be Police.
i would rather help the city officials
than criticize them, but in sober hon
esty I cannot believe that they have
been dealing vigorously, as they ought
to deal under the solemn obligations OF
their oaths. with the deplOrable situa-
ton in the midst Of which we find our
selves.
When did ii become incumbent upon
private citizens TO ferret ont specific in
fractions OF the law and deal with
themf Why have a police force at aIl2
But there IS an end to human eadUr-
ance and duty calls now upon every
good citizen to Join hands with every
other good citizen and let fall blow
against vice and corruption that viii be
come"
A Fact That Must BE Faced.
As prelude TO his sermon Sunday
evening, Mr. Rice referred as above 10
the present conditions in FL Paso and
the effort to deal with them under the
SUBJECT The Hurt OF Our CITY" Pre-
facing his remarks. he said. NO one
wishes to Cverstate bad conditions We
are all citizens Of this growing city and
as such We are interested in its reputa-
ZION abroad We would that IL might be
AnoWn everywhere, not only as a pros
porous. rapidly developing commercial
center but as good place in which to
live and rear a family
But there are times when radical ac-
Ion seems TO be demanded. when 10
heal the hurt Of the CITY an its vifa1ese
must be exposed to view. Sometime
needs to be done 10 arouse the peopie
70 sense of the danger they are ms
One losses, both to business and nor
ais. they are sustaining. Hou-evsr 90,
oreads the exposure, good men nuzr
not rear to make it when conditions
demand IL.