Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-27
BOWIE REFERS TO GOODE
RESOLUTION IN SERMON
Rector OF st. Paul's Says Discrcditcd
Men Should Not Administer
City'S Moral Policy.
DRAWS LESSON FROM AMOS
Growth of Prosperity and of Size
and Completely of Cities Have
Outrun Effective Moral Conscience
of Community, Says Minister.

In st. Paurs Episcopal Church. last
night. the rector. Rev. w. Russell
Bowie. d. D., preached on civic
righteousness and the Forces Which
Undermine It,"
The text was the sixth verse OF the
sixth chapter of the prophet Amos:
They are not grieved for the amiction
of Joseph"
He began by outlining the social
conditions of Amos's time. The prophet
lived in an age when the kingdom Of
Israel had just passed through n swift
and extraordinary development Under
the great and powerful King. Jero-
boam II, I'm that eighth century b. c.
Israel had changed of u sudden from
an agricultural to II commercial ma
ton. Great cities were growing up
and the population was moving into
them Wealth WAS increasing swiftly;
and with that increase OF wealth came
accompanying perls. The spirit OF
selfish materialism was dominant In
their fierce pursuit of personal sue
cess. men ignored the social iniusticcs
and the moral corruptions growing IN
/ In their midst
SAW EVILS OF HIS
PEOPLES LIFE
INTO ms clNillHatlon came .AmoS-a
man with all his moral senses unblunt-
ed. with clear convictions of right and
wrong sharp as naked sword. And
as he saw the evils in his peoples
life, he said that the gravcst thing of
all was that there were so many who
did not care. They arc not Srievcd
for the amict!ons of Joseph" he cried
They could look at the shameful facts
around them and tolerate them uncon-
ce"ned.
They were not all alikc-thcsc peo-
! pie who were not gricvcd for the aflijc-
; tons of their communities-jus as
they are not all alike now. There
were. In the first place. those who were
not grievcd because they themselves
were making profit out OF social in
Justices and social shamcs. There was
| in the second place, that far larger
group who. though themselves moral
~ opposed to evil conditions, yet tolcr-
ated these because they thought that
business and commercial prosperity
| might he hurt by too aggressive n
moral program. And there were those
in tho third place. who though thoo.
| rcticaly opposed To the evils they
knew OF, ret had neither the courage
nor the will to make their. challenge
clear and unafraid.
MESSAGE Is VITAL. TO
PRESENT DAY CONDITIONS
Turning to the present day. DR.
Bowie showed how vital both the prob
lem and the message of Amos arc to
the civilization of this later time. We
! too, In America, he said, have had much
, tho experience OF Israel OF the eighth
| century-a growth in material pros
| perity, and particularly n growth in
! tho size and complcxity OF cities which
/ have outrun our effective moral con-
science.
/ To-day. rs IN Amoss time, the gray
est PERIL Ia any people is the shirt
which does not grieve for moral af-
motions. hut through self-intercst or
compromise or cowardise let's shame
full things 20 unrebukcd
DIR. Bowie turned then to the moral
needs of Richmond revealed by the
police Investigation OF last spring and
particularly TO the fact that in the
Common Council tonight the case OF
commissioner Goodc Will come ND for
decision.
DIsCREDTTED MEN SHOULD
| NOT ADMINISTER MORAL POLICY
| lie said
There is not a Christian minister
/ III the city who would say one word
| to hurt him as a man. There is not
one who would not serve him i'm any
way he could But tho question which
INC people OF this city are concerned
with as touching this commissioner
| now. is not a personal one II has
! 10 40 with tho official conduct Of the
/ city's accredited officer in n matter
Whlch aHccts the peoples moral life
rms commissioners has been pro
nounced by the Council Committee un-
! III for the Office hc holds: and IL he
rs allowed 10 retain Office il will be
bccauSc the p"opI" of the city are not
/ concerned with the moral short com
! inSs which he has shared. II will
De because tho people fail to wake
! TO that indignant protest which wrong
and unfaithfulncss ought TO rouse
1T need not be so There is the
/ prophet spirit also in this city. There
! is the spirit OF Amos deep in the es-
! Scnttal heart Of tho pcoplc-thc spirit
winch VIII not faltcr through sclf-in-
icrest nor Indifference nor cowardtce
| That spirit shall demand and rcuu,re
that discrcdtcd men shall not admin
istcr this citE's moral policy. but that
| ner ahairs snail be in the hands OF