The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-18
SERMON AROUSED
MUCH INTEREST
First of a Series on Public Affairs De-
livered by Rev. A. j. Moncrief at
First Baptist Church.

| Much comment mas Deen heard on
the sermon preached on Sunday even
/ ing at the First Baptist church by DR..
| A. J. BIoncrief, which is the first of a
series of sermons on public affairs to
be preached by the pastor of the
church. The city government, both as
\ to it's form and administration, is now
one of the foremost topics under dis
cussion, owing to the coming election,
which contemplate a return to alder
manic rule, and at the request of many
readers, and through the courtesy of
Dr. Moncrief, The Journal this morn
ing presents the salient features of
the sermon which has aroused so
much interest:
For some time have had in mind
/ a series of talks osn city building. TSs
calling of the election to determine
whether we shall continue under the
present form of government in Pensa-
/ cola or revert to the former aldermanic
form has made the proposed talks OPP
perfume at this tirle, so 1 shall begin
tonight with the first discourse on "A
! Citys Government, and next Sundy
evening l will speak on a City's Bust
ness
IN dealing with the government Of a
city now ! shall be very frank in
speaking of local conditions. 1 wish to
/ say, however, that / entertain only the
kindliest feelings toward the personnel
of the present administration as far
as know these officials. Nor am so
much concerned about the particular
! form of government, having learned
long ago that the form is OF less i'm
portance than the manner of it's adj
ministration. That form Is best that is
nearest to the people, and that guards
against the Capitalization of power.
and the continuance of authority too
/ long in the same hands. The present
form is seriously defective in these
particulars.
Having said this, ] have no hesita-
ton in saying that almost any change
from the present conditions would be
an Improvement. The administration
of law could hardly be more lax, nor
| the disregard and violation of law
more fragrant and defiant. AS a result
/ of this the moral conditions of the
community are a peril and constant
menace to the youth of the city. 1t has
lbeen charged before the Minister'S as
ISOLATION recently. and before other
groups of citizens, that there are no
less than thirty eight houses of vice
running wide open and boldly, in many
cases. and semi clandestinely in 9TH
ers. An officer of the city is quoted
as saying when he was told that there
are 40 places where whiskey is sold
In, INn rfFt th1h II, z@.,s1
are nearer a hundred and forty
These conditions are commonly
known. The evidence of the facts in
many cases is before the eyes and in
the nose The officials cannot be ig-
norant of the conditions, and If not
| ignorant, then they must either be in
sympathy with them or incompetent to
handle them. In any case, it is time
for the right thinking people Of the
community to do, some house cleaning
The conditions as they are detrimental
| to business prosperity and to social
| intellectual and moral progress. 1t is
silly to talk about building a substan-
tial and progressive city upon rotten
foundation!
But | do not want to preach my
sermon before / have taken my text.
| invite your attention to several texts,
stick to them. In Proverbs 1872 we
read: when the righteous are in
authority the people rejoice, but when
the wicked bear rule the people
mourn" In the same book at 11:11,
we read: by the blessing of the up
right the city is exalted, but it is
overthrown by the mouth of the
wicked" In the prophecy of Habak-
kak at 2:12, we read: Woe to him
that buildeth town with blood and
stablisheth a city by iniquity." The
Psalmist, at 1911, says: Except the
Lord build the house they labor in
vain that build 1t; the Lord keep the
city the Waterman waketh in vain"
| The poet Shelley is quoted as say
ing: Hell is a city very much like
London" One familiar with the tales
of Dickens, many of whose scenes are
laid in the shady corners of the Eng
lish metropolis, is not slow TO believe
that the London of that day was in
}mary quarters not unlike the Internal
regions-as dark and dirty and de-
graded as hell itself. But if the Eng
| lish are the judges, we have made no
better job of the city, for Mr.. James
Bryce says. The one conspicuous
failure of American institutions is the
| government of the cities This fail
ure becomes more and more disastrous
as the urban population increases.
The last census shows that for the
| first time in its history America has a
larger city population than it has rur-
al. 1t is a notable fact that as the size
of the city increases the problems of
it's government become more complex
and difficult and the answer to the
| failure. of the successful management
may be in the reproachful fact that is
/ pointed out by Josiah Strong when he
says: 1.-The character of the men who
usually get control of our larger cit
| les. together with the corruption laid
open in recent years, indicates that the
moral development of the city has by
no means kept pace with the material