The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-27
Depends Entirely on Public
Sentiment, Declares Bea-
vers at jefferson
MARIAN JACKSON
ALSO MAKES TALK
Beavers Says Conditions in Atlanta
Are Much Better Since Restricted
Area Was AbOlished-Large
Audience Hears Addresses

Law Enforcement" was the theme
of the two speakers. Chief of Police
Beavers and Marian M. Jackson of At
lanta in the first of a series of lee
lures under the auspices of the Young
Mems Christian association at the JEFF
ferson theatre yesterday afternoon.
The theatre was filled with represen-
tative citizens of Birmingham and ap-
plause was frequent.
| In his address Chief Beavers out
lined in brief his work in Atlanta in
cleansing the city of the social evil.
He emphasized that the enforcement
of laws depended entirely on. public
sentiment and that when the sentiment
In Atlanta called for the abolition of
the restricted area 1t went out, was still
out and would remain so as long. as
public sentiment wanted 1t out.
Marian NJ. Jackson, who was chair
man of the executive committee of the
Men and Religion Forward Movement,
which drove out of Atlanta protected
vice, spoke at length. He stated that
when vice flourished in Atlanta that
$1,000 was spent annually in its up
keeping and that some of the houses
paid as high as $4,000 a year rent.
Paid High Rents
"It is no wonder" Mr.. Jackson said.
that the liquor dealer. the whisky
maker who form the backbone of this
vice should strenuously object to hav-
ing restricted area abolished. 1t is n
known fact that houses in Atlanta out
side the regular district made little
money bue the seven houses In the dis
trict protected by the police and extern
sively advertised paid in rents alone
the sum of $4,000.
1.-THE sentiment for vice is being fos-
tered only by those who have a mone-
tary interest in the game. No man no
matter how low he has fallen is IA
vorable to a vice which of a neces-
sity means that some other mans
daughter should be the victim, but the
greed for money has blinded many and
consciences have been deadened until
the traffic in women is now world
wide in its ramifications. 1t can only
be driven out by exposing to the light
its resultant evils"
The address of Chief of Police Beav-
VS. VI <Neiohtts AoiAONS ~ AAAA.
Chief Beavers Talks
"Our cities of today are going
through cleaning and renovating thas
has long been needed and the officers
whose duty it is to do this work are
going at this in some way in most
every city in the country. But some of
them are more backward about 1t than
others. and l think the cause of this
Is largely due to the attitude of the
citizens in the community toward these
reforms. There are very few officers
but who will do their duty If they
know that the people and the officers
over them will back them up in these
reforms. But where there is doubt in
the officers mind about this, he, natur-
ally will hesitate, especially when he
thinks that his job is at stake. 1t is
hard for him to do things that would
deprive his family of their living, but
when we fail TO do what we know to
be our duty on this account We are
nothing less than towards.
"There are two kinds of towards: the
moral and the physical coward Every
body would say that a coward was not
fit for a police officer. The physical
coward runs when he sees that he is in
danger of being shot. The moral coward
ljoins In with and consents to things
that his conscience tells him are wrong
when he sees an opportunity to get
money and position thereby. The only
! trouble with our cities Is that the erim-
inal class and their sympathizers are
always awake to their interests. They
| try to make politicians believe that
haU aota OF 1a fA1 xx-Ifh I,
get their support, and with decent peo-
pie Indifferent and taking no interest
in their communitys welfare it Is about
| that way. But L believe that there
are more decent people than indecent
people. All they have to do is to wake
up to their duty.
Should Repeal Bad Laws
Laws are made to be enforced and
f! 1t is our duty as officers to enforce
| them, and if they are bad laws they
will soon be repealed. If laws are dis
lregarded by the officers and courts,
what regard will the public have for
them? And still we say that it seems
strange that so many of our people
are losing respect for the law. They
have as much right to disrespect the
law as the officers and courts have.
What would We think of a police de-
partment that would give it's consent
make their living by stealing and rob-
bing the people? You would say the
police, were the guiltiest of the two.
Then If we give our consent for them
to ruin and debauch boys and women,
are We not guilty in this also? If one
stands guard for thief while he is
stealing, are they not both guilty? II 4
/ police department stands guard while
men debauch girls and women, are
they not both guilty? And If our cit
liens who elect the men who make the
police departments stand silently by
and see this going on are they not
guilty too? OH what q picture this
would be to look uopn in city But,
thank God. people are waking up to
these conditions.
/ 1--WE closed all the houses of i'll fame
in the city of Atlanta about one yesf
ago and we have kept them closed. The
law and the noble men of the police
department were my weapons to fight
the battle with. But want to say that
there went before us a flame of fire
| that burned away the deadened con-
sciences of the police department and
the public and blazed the way, and
the good 8ople of our city stood by ue
i for a clean city. And all the good peo-
/ pie of any city have got to do is to
stand together and the gates of hell
will not prevail against them.
A Significant Circumstance
| II remember d circumstances that hap
pened just a few days before we closed
these places. A committee from a be-
nevolent society in our city came to my
office and said that they came at the
| request of the fathers and mothers .ot