Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-05-27
Mr., WESTC0TT
MAKES REPLY
Pastor Calls Article Signed by
Officers of the Legion Post
Most Brazen Insult.
IS FORCED TO ANSWER
To Refute Misrepresentation
in Legion Statement - He
Quotes Part of Sermon.
is FORCED TO ANSWER

Rev. Wilbert Westcott, refuting
many of the statements contained in
the recently published article by the
Perth Amboy Post of the American
Legion, makes known his stand in
the matter by the following letter:
I'm the Wednesday evenings issue
Of the Perth Amboy Evening News
there appeared an article signed by
he officers of the local branch of the
American Legion that is without
doubt the most brazen insult ever
hurled at the citizens of Perth Am
boy.
'In the many years I have lived
In Perth Amboy. I have never used
he columns of our local paper to re-
fute any Misrepresentation. no mat
:er how glaringly unjust it may have
oeen. But as / am the, only one by
inference indicated in Nthe article.
md the same is so venemous and un-
true, that l am forced to take this
means to inform my fellow citizens
Of Perth Amboy of my true attitude
in this affair.
Now what are the facts in the
case? All of last week there was a
carnival held in our city, under the
auspices of the American Legion.
One of the Objectionable features of
this carnival was the open gambling
that took place. The chief f-of-police
of our city ordered the gambling to
be stopped, and the commander of
the Legion went over the head of
lhe chief-of-police and got permis-
sion for the carnival to continue the
gambling, upon the plea that the
carnival would have to close if this
feature of the show was eliminated.
AS an American citizen, a resident
of Perth Amboy, and a Christian
clergyman, having before me a
digest of the declarations of the
Supreme Court of the United States,
wherein gambling in any form is
denounced as a public nuisance,
scourge to the poor, temptation to
the weak, and a generalization to
the state--I felt absolutely justified
to arouse the conscience of the peo-
pie to whom l ministered upon this
subject. In this sermon 1 laid down
the proposition that the coming Of
the carnival was a distinct material
and moral liability in that it hurt
the business interests of our city, 1t
hurt the spirit of our city, and it
hurt the morals of our city, in its
evil effect upon our children, and
in it's encouragement of the gamb-
ling spirit.
'In the article that appeared in
the EVENING NEWS. written by
man who did not hear the sermon,
and dependent upon the prejudiced
reports of couple of his lieuten-
ants, there is not one argument in
refutation of any argument that
used. but on the contrary he begs
the question and uses the opportu-
nifty for accusing our citizens of lack
of appreciation and practically pa
triotic diSloyalty; for accusing our
business men of sordid greed, of re-
fusing to give the Legion support,
and of laxity in paying their bills;
for accusing the Chamber of Com
merce of being inconsistent, because
they failed to indorse one of his
schemes; and for accusing me of
variety of things that are vicious
and diabolical misrepresentation. l
feel greatly complimented to be
classed with the business men, the
Chamber of Commerce, and the re-
spected citizens of Perth Amboy, in
the wild denunciations of the author
of this letter; but l cannot help feel
ing sorry for any man who is so OBJ
seSSed with sense of his own I'M
portance that with one sweep of his
pen defames our city, insults our
business men, depreciates our Cham
sails the reputation of Christian
clergyman.
LAS far as these accusations are
concerned l am not prepared to
speak for any one but myself. If
our city has fallen down in our care
of the returned soldiers, it is high
time that we opened our hearts and
pocketbooks to maintain the repu-
tation for patriotism that Perth
Amboy established during the war.
But what concerns me is that any
man or set of men would miscon-
strue a sermon preached against
gambling as an attack upon the
American Legion.
IN this letter there are four ac-
cusations made against me person.
ally and the substance of my dis
course that are purely vicious and
malicious misrepresentation l am
accused:
"Of assailing unjustly the Ameri-
can Legion.
FOR fear that I might be mis-
quoted | wrote my sermon in full,
and this is exactly what l said: In
bringing this carnival to Perth AM
boy | feel the America. Legion has
made mistake. May this tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth, and
this right hand be palsied before l
would say one word or do one thing
that would minimize my apprecia-
ton of what the American soldier
did for you and me and the whole
country in the great world war. For
the past three or four months l
have been taking a course of physi-
cal culture treatments from one of
the finest little fellows in our town.
He carries ten wounds on his body,
and whenever I look upon the
shoulder that was torn by shrapnel
or the hand that was nearly severed
Continued on page 6)