Craven County, NC - Rev. Bruce Stevens' Crusade, 1913

                        ~~~~~~~~~~

One Man Crusade 
by M. Quad

Just before graduating for the ministry Bruce Stevens spent four days
in the town of Newbern as a part of his vacation. 

Mr. Stevens found a political boss and a political ring in the town.

He found one-half too many saloons for a town of its population.

He found the sheriff of the county and his deputies and the constable
in cahoots with the tough element.

The justice of the peace was the keeper of a saloon and passed drinks
over the bar, and he protected his own sort when it came to legal 
troubles.

"Why don't you do something?" he asked of a merchant of the town who
was a representative of the better element.

"And get boycotted and driven into bankruptcy?" was asked in return.

"Is it as bad as that?"

"The gang has us by the neck and has us scared. We have no leader."

A few weeks later, when ready to take up his ministerial duties, Mr.
Stevens asked to be sent to Newbern.

"But we have a minister there," was repled.

"But he has lost nearly all of his congregation."

"Yes, the reports from that parish are not at all cheering, and I
believe Brother Baker would welcome a transfer. You know it's one 
of the hardest towns in the state."

"I have spent four days there." 

"The cause of religon is reported as very lukewarm."

"I didn't know that there was any there at all," smiled the minister.

"Well, you'll be appointed to the place. I hope you may stir things up."

The Rev. Stevens arrived. He started out with a sermon that jolted
and jarred. He spared neither Christian nor sinner. While he criticised
the former for lack of backbone, he plainly told the latter that the
crisis had come. The crisis meant decency and reform without any shame
about it. After the sermon he lingered to talk with members of his
congregation. He found them looking forward with great timidity. If he
started a crusade he must not expect any active help from them. They
were thoroughly cowed.

"This is to be a one man crusade," be answered them. "I did not expect
your aid, and so I'm not disappointed."

Monday morning the crusade opened. Mr. Stevens visited the sheriff,
and without any beating around the bush he said: "Sheriff, I am the
new minister."

"Yes?"

"I am going for your crowd tooth and toe nail."

"Why do you call it my crowd?" was asked.

"Because it is. There are violations of the law every hour of the day,
and you stand by without interference. You drink in every saloon, and
you comrade with every lawbreaker. It's the same with your deputies and 
the constables. It's got to stop. You have got to do your sworn duty."

"Another reformer struck the town, eh?" was the insulting reply.

The sheriff went from saloon to saloon and laughed at the reformer and
said there should be no interference from him. Within two weeks he was
removed and another man named by the minister was in his shoes. The
citizens of Newbern were stunned. It seemed incredible.

Mr. Stevens visited the justice in his saloon and said: "It's for you
to enforce the law, and here you are among the lawbreakers. The others
are depending upon you to dismiss any complaint made against them.
What course are you going to take?"

"None of your business!"

The next day the minister complained of nine saloons which had violated
the law. Each one of them were dismissed. Inside the twenty days the
old justice was out and a new one in.

There were ordinances against Sunday sports. They had not been enforced
in five years. They came to the front now. No more baseball or horse
racing.

"Beat the meddler up!" was whispered and a shake purse was made up to
reward a scrapper for doing it.

He started out with great ardor to make a two minute job of it, but
it lasted only half the time. The minister knocked him out with a jab
on the jaw and then had him arrested and fined for disorderly conduct.

Then a public meeting was called at a hall, and the minister did some
tall talking. He put heart into the decent citizens so strongly that
they came out boldly to his support, and the opposition saw that
their cause was lost.

One thing more, the Rev. Mr. Stevens from his pulpit raked the citizens
of Newbern as they had never heard a minister talk before. They owed a 
duty to God and to man. They must show up at church, whether they were
Christians or not. The Sunday school must be resurrected. There must
be church work. Religion and politics must mix until every office in
the county was filled by a decent man. The devil had had possession
of Newbern long enough. Now he must be knocked down and dragged out.

There was no devil there a year later. A stranger stopping at the
inn of a Sunday would have looked around him and mused:

"A clean town - a nice town - a respectable town. Everbody seems to
be going to church, and I guess I'll go along too."

Source: The Daily Herald
        September 30, 1913

______________________________________________________________________

Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Connie Ardrey
______________________________________________________________________