El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-02-01
CHURCH PEOPLE
OBJECT T0FIGHT
Ministers Issue Address to
Public Following Sun
days United Action.

. snip ugnt IN JudreZ, mexico. Is being
aroused and expressed among the EI
, Paso church people Sunday in most of
/ the churches strong resolutions were
adopted by rising vote. protesting
against the fight and especially against
i any disposition on Ell Paso's part to
tolerate, promote or advertise it.
The pastors of the various churches
/ especially ask citizens to express their
opinions through the press and other
wise, so that the real sentiment of Ell
Pasoans may be made known to the
country at large At the request of
! the local clergy The Herald gives space
to the following address to the public"
issued in behalf of the protestant
churches of Ell PasO:
For Clean Moral Atmosphere.
I'VE believe that above all things the
( moral atmosphere of the city must be
! kept clean and wholesome, and we re-
gard II not only as our privilege but
our duty to raise a warning voice when
! ever anything is projected that threat
ems to pollute that atmosphere. We
are deeply sensible OF the fact that
many things have been and are being
tolerated here that place temptations
before our people in the most alluring
form, that arouse. the interests of our
young men and youths in practices that
can only result in their undoing We
know full wen that over some of these
forms Of evil the authorities of FL Paso
and the state of Texas have no iuris-
conviction that there should3 be de-
veloped in this city such a strong moral
opposition to them that they cannot
thrive.
An Indifferent Public.
1t is said, to the shame and humilia-
ton of every lover of humanity in El
Paso, that but for the support given
them by the people residing on this
side of the river the various gambling
institutions in .Juarez could not be
maintained. With this fact before US
we wonder at the spirit of tolerance,
OF supine moral indifference that is
so often manifested by our good citi-
zens in relation to the keno games, the
Infamous race track, and the bull ring
with its brutal and inhumane exhibit
tons that are carried on across the {
river.
We are surprised that there is not
mere a stronger sentiment against pa
IrOnlzlng these places, and that the
business interests of the city do not
see in them ultimate harm to every (
legitimate business interest of the city.
The few who gain by them on this
side of the river enjoy only a tenn
porary profit, and enjoy that at the I
ultimate expense Of all worthy bust
ness enterprises. 1t is a truism that {
no one can successfully controvert
that illegitimate gains work injury to /
legitimate business in the long run.
MenRees to Welfare.
We feel that we must raise our I
voices in defence Of the morals Of the /
city. We depl0re the race track, the |
keno halls, the bull ring as menaces /
to all that we hold sacred-to every
worthy human interest-and we pro- /
foundry wish that every man and 4
woman in the city who is here in the 1
interest of any of these institutions. or +
because of them, would speedily rid 4
the city of their presence. We regard !
them all as moral pests injecting the I
life blood of our city with a contagion (
more deadly than smallpox
And now, perhaps because all the :
above mentioned forms of evil have +
been. so commonly tolerated, perhaps
the slight financial harvest that ac- I
crues to few, perhaps because we
have been so silent, we are having
Haunted in our faces the possibility Of /
entertaining a horde of the nations !
sports, toughs, thugs and buns who 3
will come here to attend the proposed !
infamous prize fight to be staged
across the river.
We are surprised that vice should Z
be so bold and we are more surprised
that in the presence of this monstrous +
nfamy, which can only bring reproach
upon the fair name Of our city, our
citizens should seemingly be so indif-
ferent and easy going as to raise no
voice of earnest protest.
Excuses Offered.
1--WE have been told that many of our
business men, and even church men,
look upon it apOlogetically, excusing
themselves from any responsibility be (
cause it is to be held in Juarez over
which we have no legal control We |
have been told that it will doubtless I
be patrOnized by the great majority of
The business and professional men OF
the city. We are slow to believe these
and therefore desire to pre-
sent an opportunity for our citizens to
voice their convictions Our newspa-
lers, not eager to cater to the evil
hing. are nevertheless giving the
widest publicity to it, feeding the ex-
,ttable minds of our young men and
'Ouths with Writeups and pictures of I
principals of the proposed mill under
he conviction that this is what the
people Of FL PasO want them to do
1T is said that we cannot prevent /
he fight and therefore we might as
yell keep quiet. Shall it be said of III !
'aso that not a voice was raised to
,rotest2 Shall we supinely lie down IN
ne presence OF II and not even declare /
ur convictions that it is evil and de-
astng to our citizenship? Shall we be I
10 careless of its influence upon our 4
ouths as to allow them to think that I
t is all right or at least permissiblel ! I
hall we permit the word 10 10 forth {
. the world that FL Paso fostered the
hing?
How 1t Hurts Ell PnsO.
Already the infamy of the thing /
.
nd the more so because one of the
Principals is training on this side of
he river. We have trustworthy ad-
ices that all over the country it is
bought of and talked about as an El |
'aso affair. Do we want our city to |
ave that kind of publicity before the
World? Has she not already had enough |
f the sort of publicity that this brutal |
nd brutalizing fight will give her?
Believing that there are multitudes / |
# our people who feel the shame and !
he disgrace that this thing brings
lpon us and who would gladly voice |
heir sentiments of protest against it j |
f the opportunity were presented we
ssue this address. The newspapers
# the city have cOurteously agreed to
publish it and to publish also state
nents of citizens in protest against
he fight We are therefore calling
pOn the men of the city to voice their !
onvictions in very brief statements |
or publication.
Make the Protest Known.
ig al :