Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-24
pR RICHEY,s INDICTMENT.


Rev. DIR. Alban Richey, rector OF st.
Johns Protestant Episcopal Church, de-
uounced the morals of today's youth
IN his sermon Sunday, and stated that
"some standard of moral conduct there
must be beyond the shifting. varying
one of mans device. for without that
there can be no settled order in So
ciety."
The church has always been the So
lcial balance wheel in the body polite.
When customs have gone to the ex-
treme, when society has attempted to
wreck itself upon the reef of folly, II
has been the church which has sounded
the danger warning. Sometimes the
warning came too late; sometimes II
vas too feeble; sometimes it merely
was not needed. Then destruction oc-
CURED.
Is society today approaching the
reefg DIR. Richey believes that it is. He
said that
Fscetious magazine writers on
the morals OF our young people, to
the contrary Notwithstanding, one
would like TO ask what preSage or
promise there is for the future OF
society In which our smart set ex-
hihits the example of evasion of law
hy carrying TASKS in their hip pock-
cts 10 dances where they match the
.la.rs Ia
what promise is there in the spec
tacle of the painted faces of young
girls in their teens, who. with boys
uf no mature years. may be seen
wandering unrestrained by paren-
tai control in the city's streets at
night. shameiessly defying every
canon of decency?
Again what promise is there OF
the preservation OF hom, and family
when the advocates of free love"
can secure the passage of laws
which permit the divorce mills to
grind our divorces at the rate of
one 70 every marriage, as is said TO
be the case in one State of the
Union.
With the stripping bare Of the
mystery Of life and the exposure to
the vulgar gaze of its -hoIiest of
holies" in the name OF eugenic mar
riage and the supplying of prurient
minds with sex talks ana secrets of
birth-control, what wonder that a
bishop OF the church finds parallel
in America 10 that of decadent
Rome?
Coming from the heart Of man VIII
has never surrendered TO sensationalisn
VINO has always fought for the righ
with the quiet dignity of a reli
giaus. this scathing announcement /
ooubly effective. There is much trut
IN his words. He has truly pictured
phase Of life which is sapping tn
strength OF the country. IL is not tn
inmoralities Of the lowest class whic
starts a nation winding down the thorn
primrose way--it is the accursed foil
OF those at the apex of the social pyra
mid which does the greatest damage. An
ali too often it starts within the yer
church doors itself.
When men and women give only Ii
service TO their faith; when they gathe
within their temples to be seen of man
men; when il becomes a business VII
tue 10 be numbered among those VIII
direct the destinies of sect; when me
SIT before their pastors merely becaus
III is the thing TO do"-because it
fashionable-then rottenness seei
into the body polite
The church itself-and by church v
mean organizations of every creed ar
iaith--must be weakening when il
powerless 10 stop this tide of immo
atty. What we need are more men
the spiritual strength of DR.. Richie
who refuses TO declare an armistice wi
the Devil. and who viii not surrend
the power OF his faith to encroachir
inhdelity with its moral weaknesses.
While much blame is attached to Il
! Jeune fille class, it is the oldsters wi
really set the pace and lead the dan
OF moral death. And why is il tn
such great number of these fau
their practices beneath the eyes OF I
church--and go unrestrained? We /
leve that a partial answer is that ma
leaders are SO busy seeing that tn,
members render TO Caesar, that tn
have little time left to insist upon 80
vice 20 God. They lay due stress up
nationalism, and the upholding OF I
economic order. but little upon God
ness. 1t is becoming very popular
hguratively wave the flag in the pul
because we all agree on the Writ
of loyalty to our country But it is !,
popular 70 wave the banner of tt
obedience t. Gods moral laws. /,
need more great spiritual leaders. WI
man Of Dr. Richey's calmness fia
the social customs of the day til
there must be truth in his indictne
May others Join his crusade