Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-27
CHRISILESS RICH FLAYED BY
FRY IN PLEA FOR CIVIC GOOD
Says Independently Indiffer-
ent" and ''PiousIy Lazy"
are Dangerous

Civic righteousness as a debt owed
to the future generation was the key
note of an address at the Lime con
ventiOn yesterday by the Rev. William
II. Fry, representing the chamber OF
commerce of Honolulu. His address
follows in part
when the community cntArones its
best men in Office it enters upon an
era of prosperity and victory. but
when it enthrones its worst men, it en-.
tiers upon an era of moral decline.
Would you knew what is to he the
future of the nation, then take the
pulse Of the civic conscience. | sIs-
pect, Mr.. Chairman, this tonic was as
signed to the Honolulu Chamber of
Commerce because Of its direct hear
ing upon the civic problems of HCna-
lulu We are fast becoming a nation
of cities. into which the throbhing
surging masses OF humanity come,
seeking the gold that glitters and the
pleasures that allure.
Times like ours demand attention,
for the vice and misery Of our cities
battle the skill of the reformer. Every
where the restlessnesS and murmur-
ings of discomfort meek the genius Of
statesman and churchman alike. In
the city we have the best and the
worst, the highest and the lowest
types of human life; our civic prob
lens are very difficult indeed.
But I beg to remind you that the
most dangerous people to our civic
life are not the thieves, the gamblers.
the drunkards and the prostitutes.
Men are waking up tn the fact that
there is not, commercial value in vice.
In this day of dollar madness, a prop.
osition that does not pay is doomed
to failure. This is largely the reason
why the liquor saloon is Incoming so
unpopular in America. 1t does not
pay.
ChristIess Rich sAssaiIed. -.
The most dangerous people with
whom we have to do are the Christ
less rich. the independently indifrer
ent and piously lazy. Sacred stupid-
ity and saHctifled incompetency re-
ceived a severe jolt when Jesus said:
The children Of this world are wiser
in their generation than the children
of light Broadly speaking our diff
Guilty is with two classes, those who
are determined not to live for other
people and these who are determined
to live off of other people.
The real problem of civic righteous
ness is not how to keen the corsu1t
element out of office. They a~e- a.,
ways in the minority and c2pnot RIM
our government unless we are williRs
to let them. The question that we
want to find answer for is: How can
we correct the bad citizenship of good
citizens? The good citizrN who re.
fuses to vote every tim" hn h~S 9r
opportunity to do 81 cr@ht +" IN de
fraRchised. The man who al.n'Te =
hus ness interests to stand y 'troo'
him and his duty in 4 r7nral fgNt i
coward. The ma7 who rec t"""
profits, even in an indirect way. FRO"
the licensed evils OF the cNr'wun;tv ie
an undesirable citizen and a silent
partner in municipal crime.
Attitude of Business.
THE most sensitive thin% in this
world is business. Men are willing
that you should pass laws, enact re-
forms and punish the. offenders just
so long as it does not interfere with
business.
There is so much imnerscnal re,
sronsibility and indirect dealing that
it is very hard to know just where to
draw the line and fix the blame. Usu
ally personal interests are very str7Tr
Il know of no temptations so subtitle
as those which seek to make nan
forsake his neral convictions and his
civic conscience in the interests Of his
own business. The forces o. evil are
powerful, and II you will but admit
that they have a temporary rioht to
exist. they seem abe to place yN1 IL
positions of commercial advantage
No man has better right to your sun
port than the business man Of your
community who stands at the outNcstf
Of civic reform and pleads for the
things which he knows the community
ought to have, while he knows that for
the time being at least they will react
to his own financial disadvantage
MANY a good man has gone ont OF