The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-17
CITY MAKES CRIME
FOR MONEY IN IT
LICENSED SALOON DEVILS JOKE
ON HUMANITY, SAYS REV. +
FRANK WELLS.
CALLS ON CHRISTIANS
THEY CAN END 1T IF THEY WISH,
HE TELLS BROAD-sTREEF
CHURCH CONGREGATION
IN SERMON SUNDAY.

, ~
Declaring that were the devil to call
Ia counsel Of his inps to devise the
most ghastly conceivable Joke upon
tha human race they Could invent
nothing better adapted to give nell
mirth and make heaven wonder ana
weep than the license system Tor IN
toxicating liquor" and that IN ,ne
hands of the Christian men. o. !ni is
city hes a power TO put stop TO this
curse" Rev Frank Wells. OF the
Broad Street Methodist church, last
night painted a picture OF CONDITIONS
in Richmond and sounded call tyr
the extermination of the saloon IN
Ecity and State.
OF Richmond DR. Wells said: ~
but as inconsistent as tt rs, AFTER
all this expense and the pains to which
we put ourselves to protect society
from impure milk, and meats and uTi-
safe building, alas, we justify iniqutty
for a reward and for special price we
grant a special privilege TO men-ohs
hundred and Atty special privileges
to establish and maintain in our city
institutions that without question put
a blight upon the physical, social ara
moral welfare of our community. We,
for $500 for each paid into our city
treasury, in addition to state license
tax, allow one hundred and nifty per-
whom are Italians and three of whom
are negroes. to engage In the business
of selling Intoxicating liquors. which,
according to the decision Of the, Su-
preme court OF our nation is attended
with danger to the community.
Taking whack at some OF the
churches OF the city. ne said:
Another phase Of the devils joke
on Richmond involves many OF our
churches in a very inconsistent posi-
ton. We say to the man who sells
the stuff, or rents his property Tor
the sale of 1t, that we will ex-com-
munlcate him, and II he appl'ea Tor
admit him. and yet our church MEM
bers will go and vote for men who
stand by and uphold and defend the
saloon interests - ss,A.
ALAS, my hearers. the devil In SUBJ
jectins us to tyranny ~ bad as that
which any page OF history records.
For a price we have given him permits
sion to produce poverty, profiigacy,
cruelty, wretchedness and death. We
submit while he transforms heirs OF
heaven into felons, harlots, paupers.
madmen and murderers.a N
No Room for towards.
| Warning his hearers that they who
saloon have a dtfficult tank before
them and that there is no place for
cowardice in it, DIR. Wells said with
fervor:
with the spotless emblem Of
purity before us, with the prayers Of
our mothers and wives and sisters In
| our ears, with the woes OF 4 drink
cursed humanity about as. and with
a. God of righteousness and OF power
above us, we must buckle on our
swords OF light and weld them for
the triumph of truth and never
sheathe them until they have flashed
In triumph over the crumbied ram.
Let US say In conclusion that one
great mistake made by reformers haa
ben that they have thought their. work
done when they have destroyed an In
stitution of evil. Our work must be
first destructive, but It must be FOL.
lowed by reconstruction. III the IA.
loon has been any sort Of social factor
In the lives of the people. 1t is for uf
to ask how we can put In Its place
social centera that in q right way and
under wholesome influences will meet
the social needs Of the people. Mar
for social life. He hikes companion.
ship and will have It. II he canno,
find a place to have 1T under proper
Influences he will have II under i'm
proper.
Constructive work.
The saloon people have become
wise to this fact The dinEy and dirty
old grog shop has given place to ths
attractive saloon. Music and enter.
| tanning features have been added. AND
many md their social center LII the
t saloon. for the lack Of something else
they go there for cofnpAnionship AND
fellowship. And this IL Followed By
fsuciai treating and drinking and tiff
Is the curse OF the saloon today.
ST believe eur work Is not done II
simply shutting up the saloons We
need to give the people something thai
will meet their very real social needs