The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-24
SECOND STREET M. E. CHURCH.

The Cause and Cure Of Crtme-ln1quity
Ina High Piaces-Disastrous Results Of
the NOn-Enforccment Of Laval
Brighter Day Dawning-sermon by tne
Rev. Henry Aston.
A large and attentive audience gathered at the
Second Street Methodist Episcopal church last
evening, attracted by the notice that the pastor,
the Rev. Henry Aston. would preach upon the
subject, "The Cause and Cure OF Crime" After
the usual religious exercises the reverend gentle
man announced his text from Ecclcsiastes viii.
n:-"Because sentence against an evil work Is not
executed speedily, therefore, the heart OF the
OF men is fully set In them to do eviLn He said
The question asked everywhere, 'Why is 30 much
crime committed every day in this city Ofchurches,
the metropolis OF q Republic OF Christian civiliza-
ton S''-may find an answer in the text. The de-
pravity Of our hearts turns mercifu fOrbearance
into connvance Of sin and the hope of license to
sin with impunity, and the utter escape of pun
ishment. The non-enforcement Of law, whether
arising from ineffciency or inndelity OF courts of
justice or Influenced by the
WEIGHT OF GREENBACKs,
or the strength of stiff backs of the criminals and
their supporters, will greatly accelerate and multi
ply the work OF crime in all its forms. Its is
legion and the proof amouts to demonstration in
our city. The utter abandonment OF our city gov
eminent to fraud, bribery and ignoring the sane
uty OF the oath of office for the past few years is
without q parallel In ChristendOm. Hence crime.
this many headed monster, has walked abroad at
MONDAY, Missing, singing and killing peaceful c
this criminaity of the bench of justice.
he then proceeded to consider the incipient
cause OF crime. Back OF and underlying oil this
and yet nearly allied to it, namely the neglect OF
early restraint, the curbing, controlling, destroy
ing the immoral tendencies OF our nature This
belongs to parental and personal duty, and, 1t
being neglected or weak, the civil laws should step
In, arrest, hold and punish the cuprit. railing
After referring to that sympathy for unfortunates
and best efforts for their reformation, which Is the
duty Of all, he continued, never In the history OF
criminals SO numerous, and while the public are
loudly demanding their arrest and eondign punish
ment let us pause and look into
THE CAUSE AND CURE OF CRIME.
And arst. grand primary cause Of crime is the
lack Of early moral culture and discipline. In con-
sidering this the speaker showed what great re-
suits often now rom small beginnings and 1t is
n born and Its strength
soil and the culture 1t receives. From this he
argued the importance Of early training, showing
proved by extensive quotations from the Scrip
lures, and illustrated the evils which follow on
child in the way he should CO." Is law, with Few
exceptions, which prove the rule and when il is
not done by the parents 10 should be assumed by
the State in the interest Of society.
The great question in this country at this time Is,
How shall this training be accomplished l an
parental instruction; second by legal enforcement
OF our common school system; third by the most
vigorous efforts to bring neglected children under
Sabbath school teaching; fourth, citizens should
be q unit In support and enforcement Of the law.
ne mere entered INTO an elaborate and extended
and the Introduction OF Bibles into the schools.
Continuing he said:-
CITIZENS SHOULD WAKE UP
to the Importance OF this early culture, for ii will
soon be too late; the seeds OF sin and crime Will
fnl rapidity. owing to our depraved natures and
evil tendencies and other causes. He referred to
some OF the more prominent criminals as ex-
amples OF this-possessed of culture. business
capacity, fine organizations, pleasing address, not
withstanding which uncurbed passion had plunged
them into murder He showed how this apex OF
crime was reached gradually and by general indul.
Rence in sinful appetites. In exhortatIon TO the
young he urged upon them the Importance OF this
training, as Shown in the fearful, desolating ruin
which "iast young men'' are bringing upon them
selves oy an ndSrenc renee Of their passions Bear in
OF restraint by
THE CAREER AND DEATH OF FOSTER,
his blasted life, his ignOmnous end.
Another fearful cause OF crime is the rum trafflc
The facts and figures show this. In the statistics
for lntoxicaton and 200 grogsnops in full blast
DR.. willard Parker, an eminent living author, said
In speech lately that tnirty-three and one-third
per cent OF all the deaths In this great city were
caused by the use OF alcoholic drinks, and that
100000 had died in this city in thirty eight years
DR.. Marmon, in the New York Medtcoi Journal
says for the last ten years the use OF
spirits has first cost the nation direct expense OF
Ves 10 the u oas
house, committed 10000 prisons and work
houses caused 200 suicides and a loss by fire and
violence of So 900 O00 1t has made 200 O6O widows
and 100 900 crippes. While Ii pays Hto the revenue
OF the government 5000 600 600. the whole cost for
educating and preaching the Gospel Is 1000, 900.
Another cause Of crime is a lack OF sympathetic
effort for the fallen. He argued from the Bible and
the spirit OF Christianity that 1t is the duty of
Christians to sympathze with the unfortunate and
to strive by every means to lead them away from
quit and SIM and that the absence OF the requisite
earnest labor for the fallen was great cause OF
crime. And yet there is a limit, beyond
winch we cannot aud ought not to do
more than shed eur tears and utter our
sorrow and sympathy While Jesus wept over
Jerusalem he pronounced the coming doom. While
Paul worked day and night for the unsaved he FORE
told the coming wrath. Hence the non-en force
ment OF law is one great cause of crime and It's
cure in this city is
RETURN TO LAW AND JUSTICE
That man could be found guilty OF murder in
the nrst degree caused an evident surprise among
us, resulting rom the previous Reimbursement
OF low. what is the design Of law and ruerss will
let st. Paul answer Referring to the law of God
he says the law was our schoolmaster TO bring us
to Christ Again read Romans, chapter =
third, fourtkand Ifth verses. hence we see that
in Gods wisdom he has decided that rules and
rulers should be ordered for the punishment OF evil
doors, for warning and correction OF the evils OF
society. lie then proceeded to show how the law
had been trampled on, and argued from recent
events that the dawn OF brightfS better day u