Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-08-21

hNi'SioHs WHY hiVailS " ulo W.
fron ruin, is no longer invioIabls n this city
and oupiry.
That blood clot yonder nj the corner o
Fourth and W tier streets, where one Of tn.
Lords anointed lay dead, cries so loud
through this city and nation, that | am sure
that millions of people to-day hear God's
voice saying, where is thy brother, for his
blood cries unto me from tpe ground.nO this
Is an awful grief. Ii Is a burden too heavy "a
be borne. God have mercy upon us. God
forgive us. Deliver us from blood guilt.
ness, o Godn' Purge us with hyssop, wash
us In the blood Of Jesus and We shall be
clean.
Cast us not away from thy presence and
take not thy holy spirit from us" And now
where shall we look for the true cause lead
ing 10 this deed Of darkness! The causes
leading To this crime car OF be wholly
charged upon those engaged IN the rum traf-
fc. Rum and by rum ] mean iii alcoholic
liquors) Is an unmiKed evil when used As a
beverage. | have NO apology TO make for il
or for its vendors. But the responsibility for
the condition Of affairs Leading t. this great
crime must not be unlosded upon a few
shoulders. When We reflect, / think you will
see that this is true. We. or at least most of
us, are citizens OF the United States and Of
this state and city. And ~ good and loyal
citizens We ought to ob.y the laws Of the
land. Now II We have been guilty Of helping
To violate or Dullify the laws, or have either
out OF fear or from any other motive, refused
to aid in the enforcement Of the laws. II we
have Kept silence when the laws were being
openly and dagrantly violated, then can w be
said 10 be loyal citizens OF this countrya
do not 90 understand LOYALTY ir It's true
sense in u republic. For | believe, here, the
people are the government.
And can We xpect that the Officers Of the
state and city viii enforce the laws II the
power behind the throne says no don't enforce
them. Who shall enforce the laws II the peo-
pie say no, In = republics
The fact ia that We must oil take our full
share OF odium under which this city 10 rest
ing, and notdump the whole matter at the
door OF the saloon and upon a few city
officials, however wicked the former and how
ever derelict the latter.
1t is sometimes ssid: "Liks priest, like
people" would say, like people, like city
officials. believe that sometime within the
memory Of most OF the living, MANY OF the
city fathers, To the numbe of nearly one hun
dred, declared In 4 petition that rum was nee
essary 10 TIE prosperity of this city, and So
far AS know the people ssid amen. At least
silence gave consent. The people of Sioux
City went into rebellion against the state OF
Iowa by that act, as much 4. John T.. Calhoun
did against the United States when he led the
nulliters Of the south. And = little Of the
spirit Of Andrew Jackson would have been
s~alutary in the state Of lows about that time
But follow me \ step further aud You viii se.
the correctness OF the position | have taken
to-day.
Places OF vice, such ~ have existed and
still exist In this city are not supported 10y
tramps, and the travelling community or the
strangers within oar g2tes.
A gentleman and y sojourner In the city
said TO me recently, when speaking on this
subject. 1t Ia claimed that these places of
vice are not 30 much for the people Of Sioux
City but for the surrounding country ana ipr
strangers coiuing To the city,-God pity the
country and the strangers IL this were true.
All the fact 10, tn where 30 many saloons
a d other places of vice aud debsuchery
thriving business there must be q horrible
state Of immortality. For 4! these places were
not supported by the people Of The city most
OF them would die or disappear from among
US.
Ali Sioux City people have made these
places not only possible but q necessity.
Let us put {. then ~ midi, ~ We can and
say, that there must be = friyhtful degree OF
moral rottenness somewhere when so many
saloops and deps Of vic. seem simply 10 sup
ply the customers.
Don't unload this whole matter upor the
saloons and upon the city officials. am no
my heart . business that ruins
SO many Of my fellow beings,
that blasts intellect, that dwarfs
genius, that desolstes so many homes, and
that feeds the fires OF he'll With so many souls
that but for this Ssuf Teufel or drink devil, a.
Luther called il, would love and serve God IN
the world and live forever in heaven.
The truth then il that Sioux City has been
violating human and divine laws. The first
and second and third commandments have
been violated by . deplorably large number Of
our people.
The sixth commandment by @, how manyt
And the fifth commandment only too fire.
quently by desperate characters.
| follow the arrangement Of the command
ments as nunoered by Luther.
In the 1ourisbins days Of the Roman EN-
pirc it was with . just pride that Y Roman
anywhere on earth could say, Il AIN . Roman
citizen" But / feel that We must blush. when
we say we are Sioux Citians. This shame is
ur shame.
Let not recriminations then be the order of
these days Of distress. do not like To have
our papers saying to one another in substance
it's your fault. d, no; We are going to live
together in this city for q few years. before We
~ hence 10 return no more, and let us
not engender strife and awaken ami
mosities between those who should be
friends, that may last to life's eud. Let us all
resolve to buuish the criminal II he can be
found, and let MS get rid OF the immediate
cause of crime In a proper way, but don't let
us stop there. Let the people get their hearts
right before God. And don't let 1t be said
that Sioux City Is hopelessly lost. Nc; let us
redeem her from dishonor by calm, deter
mined and persevering efforts. And let US do
no violence, either, by word or deed. Two
wrongs never get made one right. And let us
ear in mind that there are eternal laws that
no Individual or city or nation can violate
and not reap as they have sown.
Ii the people will r6fusct TO worship and serve
God, and Will blaspneme bis name, ii they
will break his holy day. And here let ise say
that ! have lived more than forty years in
America, and with the exception Of a few
large cities into which much that IL vile has
drained from all lands, ] have never seen eucA
high handed Sabbath discretion ~ | have
here. have never In any city Of this size
been Weakened up by the bands, clammoring
up a Sunday excursion - was this morning.
1t is my opinion the people had better stop
this business or they win be wrecked
some Of these times and 90 To pcrdition
in a wreck. And 10 Is any wonder then, when
a city violates great laws human and divine,if
desperate characters, attracted TO our city by
the scent Of corruption and vice, go a step
further in the same direction and commit
deeds that make = whole nation stand ughasts
And now let me point you TO the only way
of escape from the degenerscy Of morals and
manners existing among us, and TO the only
into deeper depths OF shame. Let US turn To
the dcspised Hill OF Calvary, and there at
Jesus feet seek the pardon OF our sins. And
live upon a higher plane. Let Us keep Gods
nro, na 80 rApxLI. -.l,Zx L., 4ho