The Great Acceptance: The Life Story of F. N. CharringtonThorne, Guy
History
The Great Acceptance: The Life Story of F. N. Charrington
Thorne, Guy
Charrington, Fredk. N. (Frederick Nicholas), 1850-1936; Poor -- England -- London
Mr. Charrington said his contention was not as to the behaviour of the
prostitutes, but as to their presence.
Mr. Davis said it was the case that prostitutes were to be found at
fashionable West End churches.
The Chairman then announced that the Committee were in favour of
recommending that the license be granted. He wished to say that the
Committee generally did not agree with what had been said as to the
evidence of the police, and that it was not just to say their evidence
was untrustworthy.
* * * * *
In opposing the licenses at the London County Council of some of these
more notorious music halls, Mr. Charrington, according to the regular
procedure of the council, had to conduct the whole case himself
without any legal training, and was not able to have a barrister to
speak for him. On one occasion he had Sir Charles Russell opposed to
him, and also Mr. Grain, these eminent counsel representing the music
halls. During the case in question some point arose in regard to one
of the halls, and Mr. Charrington said to Sir Charles that the noise
was so great on the other side that it drowned the counsel's voice and
perhaps he did not hear correctly what Sir Charles had just said. But
if he _had_ said so-and-so, Mr. Charrington thought that he would find
that he was misinformed. Sir Charles thereupon consulted his
solicitor, and rising to his feet, bowed, and said, "That is so, Mr.
Charrington." At the conclusion of the case Mr. Grain came over to Mr.
Charrington and said, "I really must congratulate you, Mr.
Charrington, on the way in which you have stood to your guns."
One can read this story, this official account of Frederick
Charrington's noble efforts to rid London of what he firmly believed
to be a plague-spot, from two points of view. But one can only come
to one conclusion about the earnestness of the man himself.
I am personally not very sympathetic to this effort of Charrington's,
in those days. I think he would have been better advised to have
realised that men and women cannot be made good by any Act of
Parliament. Of the personal campaign outside Lusby's Music Hall I
think very differently. He was then endeavouring to oppose the views
and the solace of Religion to the forces of Evil.
No crowd encircled him about,
He stood despised with two or three--
But like a spring in summer drought,
The word he uttered, quickened me.
Since then I tread the pilgrims' way,
Still plodding on through sun and rain,
But, like a star shines out that day,
The day which saw me born again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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