Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-09
ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST
THE REV. r.. III. ADAMS ON THE
RECENT MURDER.
The Apathy of Good Citizens Toward
Public Affairs and Hnt0x icntiBE
DRINK Pronounced the Nnain-spring
of wickcdmcss.

The Rev. II. H. Adams arose before a
sea of faces in st. Paurs nj. L. Church
Sunday night and gave as his text st.
Matthew XIV. 18th verse: Sand because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many
shall wax cold" He dwelt upon the
grandeur of the Republic and said that
even in Christian America, the land of
the freeman, purchased by ballot and
devoted to virtue, iniquity was abroad.
Sensuality pours in streams from every
issue of the press; greed of gain has
honey -combed society with fraud souls
maddened by sin rush through the fearful
gates of suicide into the presence of God,
and profanity holds its daily carnivals on
the highways of the public.
Recently in our very midst fearful
crime was committed by the hand of man
made diabolical by strong drink. A
human life hallowed by family is taken;
wife is robbed of her protection. Her
children can never again lisp the name of
father, and their childhood will be forever
haunted by that awful deed of cruelty.
But worse than oil soul unconscious of
danger, and possibly unprepared for
death is turned into the presence of God
Mark you the words of that devoted wife
beside his grave: "I would that he had
died upon his bed but they shot him
down ON the street."
In this pathetic sentence from that
heart-broken woman, there is that which
though unconciously uttered, should
awaken a feeling of horror in the breast
of righteous public. 1t was not SO much
with the shooting of Officer Peterson that
the speaker had to deal, but with the
n,N4a h. e .,,l. .al.
Intoxicating drink. This was question
that involved the destiny of families,
society and the church. The State en-
ployed teachers in this city to train
children to become good citizens. For
filthy lucre it sold 200 licenses for saloons
to wreck and ruin their young lives.
While the State was granting these
licenses there was evidence in the dock of
the ruin it was accomplishing. The law
plainly sets forth that if person or per-
sons commit deed with full appreciation
of the consequences of that deed they are
guilty. He held that the State foresaw
the ruin it was aiding, and with that
logical proposition he would have his
hearers to go with him to that open grave
in the cemetery view the coffin of the
murdered, faithful officer look upon his
weeping children and hear the fearful
utterance from that heart-broken wife:
81 would that he had died upon his bed,
but they shot him down on the street."
Who shot him down on the street2 "They."
The State was party to that terrible
crime with the murderer, Davis; and he
held that before God it would be answer
able.
A second antecedent fact was the apathy
of good citizens. in public affairs. Gov
ernment was no voluntary institution, it
was an institution of God. Government
must exist for the punishment of the
guilty and the preservation of the
righteous. Good citizenship did not only
consist in the keeping of laws by oneself,
but in seeing that others did not violate
them. This rule, he contended, was not
observed. Duty demanded that good
citizens should stand behind every officer
and encourage him to maintain the laws.
People were led like haltered beasts tc
the ballot-box to do the bidding
of the lawless. That the ballot -box, the
shrine of liberty's temple, should be
polluted, was crime and "a shame. Who
is responsible2 The speaker laid it be
fore God in iinal Judgment, on the apathy
of good citizens in public affairs, which
with the love of Intoxicating drink con
stituted the two main-springs of wicked
ness. Again, he would have his heareri
accompany him to that open grave, ant
hear the words of that prostrate wife
Who shot him. "They" shot him down
Dare he say it; yes. "Ihey" were the
citizens, the State, and the murderer. His
hearers could not get from under thai
awful responsibility, and he hoped tha
that "they" would be thorn in the
pillow of every man at night.