Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-07-29
PASTOR HANDLES SUBJECT IN A
MASTERLY WAY BEFORE
LARGE CONGREGATION.
SAYS 1T is TIME TIC CALL FOR
BETTER LAW ENFORCE.
MEkT.
RECKLESS DRIVING ON THIS
PIKE is A SHAME TO THE
COUNTY.


on the Williamsport pike accident. At
the close of the sermon Rev Wright
received many congratulations for the
forceful manner in which he had call
ed the attention of the public to con
ditions existing in the traffic in strong
drink between this section and Will
Transport. On next Sunday evening
he will speak on Law Enforcement
and Our Relation to the Maryland
Campaign" The following are some
extracts from last nights sermon:
can accident has occurred in which
one is dead, and two are permanent
invalids. | express the feeling of all
when l say these unfortunate ones
have our sympathy, for the true Chris
tian spirit is to sympathize with the
suffering. though their misfortune
may be the result of their own wrong
doing. The object of this address is
accident into an unpleasant notoriety.
But the accident itself gives them a
prominent setting in the midst of
lawlessness which has gone about the
limit Of liberation. If any man by his
conduct violates statute law, or those
higher but unwritten laws of Chris
tan community's ideals and standards
of morals and decent living it is his
fault, and the community cannot in
criminate itself by a silence enforced
through respect for the personnel in
volved. For if we by our silence
stand by and see wicked thing done
and do not do all in our power to pre-
vent it we become party to the
crime.
This accident is but an incident
in the midst of existing conditions
that are shameful, and the object of
this address is to call the attention
Of the community to the fact that
whisky and beer and Tie saloon are
responsible for this accident.
"Those who kno% him say that
young Brown was reliable and
steady young man. This verdict We
accept But was it not a bad bust
ness for a reliable and steady young
man to be engaged in running an au-
tomobile to carry the drinking ele-
ment of this community to the sa-
looms across the river? Was it not
bad investment of money and time
for a man with wage of 1925 per day
with a family of wife and five chill
dren dependent upon him? But what
cared the saloon keeper in Williams
port so long as he got the wages of
the week? What cares he or any of
his class whether any mans children
cry for bread or go bare-footed. Ev-
cry time he loads jitney with booze
for distribution in this county he
knows he is q violator of the law, for
who is criminal? Any many who
violates law or helps another to do
of road between here and the river
unknown exhept to the residents of
this section before the people of this
state expressed themselves in no un-
certain terms on this saloon business
has suddenly sprung into shameful no
toriety, not only in this community
but throughout Maryland, West Vir-
ginia and beyond because it has sud
denly become the speedway for The
disreputable lowless elements of this
community.
THE Williamsport pike is the one
monster joke of Berkeley county. The
gang that use it in going to Williams
port for their beer make it unsafe as
thoroughfare for the industrious
farmers, their wives and daughters
who live in that section and are the
taxpayers and must come to this city
to trade The drivers of these buses
and automobiles delight to force the
| farmers to the fence and then laugh
at their fright. This reckless driv-
ing is itself violation of the law
and is shame to the county. But
l am not here to arraign the officers
of the county for lack of law enforce
ment at this time. / do not know
one of them by name nor his attitude
on the whiskey question. shall deal
with the question OF law enforcement
next Sunday.
when this state said by major
| ity of 10000 that it was done with
the whiskey business. was it just jok-
ing. or did it mean it? Is Berkeley
county so far as its part Of that ma
jority is concerned srd its attitude
on law enforcement going to regard
it as huge joke?