The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-04
CALLS UPON BOARD
TO RE|NSIATE BOTH
OEPOS[O OFFICERS
Rev. Dr.. Maclachlan breaches
Scathing Sermon On Dismis-
cal Of krengel
ASKS IMPEACHMENT
OF WE'LL AND COODE
Declares Council Must Exer-
cise Great Care In Selection
Of Successor to Commission
er Boykin

e. Boykin
Preaching before . crowded audi
1crium last night at Seventh Street
Christian Church. Rev Dr. Maclacaalan
v1gerously scored the Police Board for
~ action In diminishing Sergeant
Krsngei and dsmoting Sergeant Shoe
naaksr. and said they should be re-
ffnseatsd 1t once.
He called upon City Council to Inn
peach both Commissioners Well and
Commissioner Goode. and declared
that . most representative man should
~ selec4ed to All the place to be va
U11od by Commissioner Boykin. He
I'D no had heard several names men,
toned for the place. but that neither
appeared to him to be much Of an
improvement
Police Commissioner Parker and
Attorney General Pollard were inter-
ested members of the congregation.
DR.. MAclachlAn took his text from
zeph. 3:5. and his topic was The
Scandal OF the Police Board" He
satd:
The prophet zsphaniah preached in
tho years just preceding the captivity,
whon Judah's moral life had reached
= very low ebh White outwareily
prosperous enough. tho state was In
wArdly rotten A succession OF evil
kings had been reigning over It. Ths
prlest1y- caste ~ II gained more and
more power grew correap0ndingiy cor
|fupt. The merchants had lost all con-
|etence In their business dealings. The
big land owners were crowding out
the small proprietor and monopoiizing
|khe land which In the earlier. happier
|dAys Of Isruels history had been COM
munal property. The Official class was
arrogant and unjust. The Judges Of
the court were venal and corrupt
Might had taken the place or right.
The rich were trampling on the poor.
while over all hung the shadow which
thN rulers OF the state could not zee.
but which the true prophets OF God
|Aaw only too clearly OF the great
Eastern power which. having destroy
I'd Samaria and Damascus. would as
|suredly one day destroy Jerusalem
|also.
1t was q time for clear thinking and
| plain speaking and the prophets OF
this period, IL we may Judge from the
fragments Of their sermons that have
come down to us, measured up to
their opportunity.
Among them was this man Zeph-
|A0ty. with the burning zeal OF =
fW3cliffe or a Hu8. and q grim de-
to speak the whole truth
Judah's condition. Like
|all the other prophets Of this and the
period he lays more stress
- public, civic and political sins than
I'm private wrong doing.
II 10 thu state rather than the In
1fvi0ual he indictsl He thunders
oninst class corruption. class oppres-
e1on. cla1s injustice. He lashes the
He inveighs against tho
|Ustem." knowing full well--what
|ovUfy student Of morals ought to
|Gn0w, but what many are too slow to
|eeArn-that In moral matters the In
11v1duAl II Z creature OF his environ
3toent 4 more or less helpless victim
~ the system under which he lives.
EsphAniah lays the axe at the root of
~ tree In the government. in the
oonounic system. In the religious
Ablishment Of his day.
Draws STRIKING Contrast.
In the words we have chosen for
eur text he draws a striking con-
|trast between the spiritual privilege
lot the city And the actual condition.
lon the one hand Jehovah 10 In the
.lmidst Of the city an its great unseen
Huler. He II Righteous. The evils
TX the day are not attributable to him.
IA = impouuibie that he should count
AAnce them. His will - well known
I'D - made perfectly clear-through
.fno mouth OF lAwgiver and prophet
- kind Of law that should prevail In
- land. The people are not sitting
II darkness. The Light Il in their
hidst. They know what they ought
u do. But on the other hand they
10 not do It, They despise the light.
Ehey insult 1t in the arrogance and
nso.ence OF their wrongdotng From
.1eptls 10 DEPTH they sink until all
nas Of self-respect Is lost and there
nothing too mean and dastardly for
liem to do.
Jehovah is righteous In her midst.
1e doeth no wrong: morning by morn
- He e1tablisheth His decree: light
n not lacking, BUT THE UNJUST
kNOWETH NO SHAME"
What : true picture that IL of the
nlxod rood and evil in governments
"a societies! On the one hand God
4n0t absent He Ii in the state, In
he city. In the society. His viii Il
known to all They cannot make the
1cune Of ignorance for their wrong
f0IhS. hut, on the other hand. there
i Il class Of men In every community.
- - IN Jqgzsalem Of old, who know
10 Cod swIU tfespfse TIfs law. who
Int THAR eyes to the light or rather.
mn the light shining full on their
hurl their petty defiAnces 1T
I'M deeds OF shame and darkness.
tow and then there are CLEANS of
ope Fur while. perhaps, there
~ even aikns Of improvement. Even
wicked, one thinks cannot keep
going from bad TO worsa forever.
4Nafe munt be s0me limit to their
xk1aarA ~ tho law. But AiAs Tor
- aatMFs. II 10 always better and
- f6aA Ne could anticapate. Pa
sat1assa - Ihird pas&l.