The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-16
WASHINGTON URGES
SANER CHRISTMAS.
Negro Leader Asks Mem
bers of Race Not to Drink
or Carry Pistols
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:

To the Editor of The Age-H Herald:
In many parts Of the country where
our race lives in large numbers a
cloud of gloom is spread over the
Christmas holiday season because of
the large number of people who are
murdered or wounded. Many of our
people seem to feel that Christmas is
for the purpose of drinking whisky,
carrying pistols or shooting or mur-
dering somebody This kind of thing
Is not confined to the negro race, but
Just now | am trying especially 70
advise my race.
A careful study and observation con-
vince me that these shootings and
murders are brought about by two
causes. The first cause is drinking
many of our people swho, during the
other months of the year seldom touch
whisky, feel at liberty, in fact, the ne
cessity of drinking and making fools
of themselves during the Christmas
holidays.
These murders are brought about in
the second place by the senseless and
useless habit of carrying pistols on
one's body for the mistaken purpose
of self defense or protection. / have
not carried a pistol in all my life and
do not keep one In the house, for
found that the carrying of a pistol or
other weapon gets one into trouble in
nine cases where 1t keeps one out of
trouble in one case.
1t used to be that the Fourth of July
was a noisy. senseless occasion where
hundreds of people We're murdered
through the shooting off of fire crack
ers and firearms. A reform has been
brought about so that the Fourth of
July is now safe, sane season. Why
cannot we as a race do our part in
hri O. n en- II ind Of En- ,41,a
with reference to the Christmas sea
son? Why cannot we change the policy
of whisky drinking and pistol carrying
so that Christmas will not bring sor-
row, but only joy and gladness?
Think of 1t, instead of Christmas be-
ing a day of thank sgiving, joy and
Sladness. 1t is too often turned into
a day of misery and woe, even for
lifetime. Christmas leaves behind 1T
penniless widows with children to sup
port. 1t leaves disappointed, broken
hearted parents, whose children, heat
cd with liquor, have committed some
shameful or criminal act Hundreds of
young men who would otherwise lead
decent upright lives have begun their
careers as jailbirds on Christmas day.
and almost equally many a young
woman. due to license of the season,
has started on a course of shame and
disgrace.
MY especial purpose IN WflllnR TINS
letter is to make definite, strong AMI
personal appeal to every minister, TO
every Sunday school teacher, to every
public school teacher and every parent
10 use his influence to have the drink
ing of whisky and the carrying of fire
arms stopped during the Christmas sea-
son. If something could be said by the
ministers and teachers and other lead
ers in every church in the south on
this subject on Sunday, December 81.
| am sure 1t would accomplish great
good. Perhaps we might designate the
day as "anti-whiskN and anti-pistol
day" l very much wish that all the
ministers and teachers in the day and
public schools might set aside this
special Sunday. or a special day, where
attention through the medium of SER
mons or lectures might be called to
this important matter. Our young peo-
pie need to be spoken to plainly about
the scnseless and useless habit of
drinking whisky and carrying pistols
realize fully that the type who are
most guilty of these acts do not at
tend church. Sunday or day school. and
know of the difficulties In this direc-
ton, but nevertheless, if each one who
reads this commune alton will begin
now in some way to do his part to
bring about a reform I am sure that
the coming Christmas season will show
an absence of whisky drinking and pis-
tol carrying that will be most gratify-
ing and encouraging.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON.
Tuskegee Institute. December 13.
1913.