The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-10
Rev. w. O. Stovall, in Ser
mon, Ayers Killing of Man
Is Result of Vote Approx
ing Sale of Liquor.
FAMILIES OF MEN
SUFFER DISGRACE
''Liquor Is Thief BY Way
side," Minister Declares
Saloonists Must Bear Their
Part of Responsibility.

Rev W. o. Stovall Of the First Bap-
tist church clearly expounded to the
members of his congregation last
night in a sermon on "The Thief by
the Wayside" that it is not only the
fault of the liquor traffic which is re-
sponsible for the murder of Irwin
White but also the fault of those citi-
zens who voted three years ago that
liquor should be sold in this commu-
nifty. A large number of persons heard
the sermon.
why is it that after spending an
enormous amount of money in charita-
BILE work each year." he asked, that
at the end of the year conditions are
worse than at the beginning. The rea-
son Is that we are spending our ef-
forts too largely on the results of such
conditions rather than on the cause.
1t Is conceded on almost every side
and the friends of the liquor business
don't deny it, that the great portion
is credited to the liquor traffic.
Liquor The Thief.
"This is our thief by the wayside 1t
is not necessarily all persons deriving
profit from the system but the entire
system which has fastened itself up
on American life. 1t is thief because
it not only takes mans spirit and char
acter but also robs the mother and
innocent children.
Oox,
ing men, men of families, who have
been respected and supported their
families were drawn into one of these
places where they got the liquor which
drowned the manhood in them and
stimulated the beast. Conditions were
then set to produce the very worst re-
suit possible. There was banter be-
tween companions in like condition.
games which produced excitement all
contributing to the quarrel which re-
suited in the death of one man, the
imprisonment of two others and mis-
cry, shame and anguish to the wives
and mothers.
"All this is not because the men
were criminally inclined but because
citizens of this community have sold
their rights as men to conduct this
kind of business which is calculated
to produce just this result 1t is con-
fessedly SO because men in this kind
of business are required to give bond
to recompense those who may be in
jured by their business. What can ev,
er compromise their families for their
loss or wipe out the stain of their dis
grace.
''If. you want to say the worst pos>
sible thing about a man who is gone
don't say he is thief, don't say he ran
away with another mans wife-say
he was killed in saloon brawl. If you
want to add anguish to the broken
heart of wife or make the cheeks of
child blush with the last degree of
shame, simply say that the husband
or father is in prison because he kill
ed man in a saloon brawl.
Who Is Responsible.
who is responsible for these condi-
tions? The saloon keeper must bear
his responsibility but not alone. The
two men who are still alive must bear
the shame and the state will exact Of
them penalty and deprive their fam
flies Of their needed support and fasten
disgrace on the loved ones of their
homes Yes, we must add the respon-
sible persons in the matter of princi-
pie and before God are the citizens of
this community who said at the ballot
box few years ago that they wanted
their city to sell man the privilege of
conducting this kind OF business
These are the men who must stand
the responsibility when they know
their act has taken from the home the
father and caused the children whom
he tenderly kissed goodbye when he
was taken away from his home by the
officers to ask in vain why doesn't
papa come home"