Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-04-18
A Plea for the Unfortunate.


took for his text Exodus vii, 20: All the
waters that were in the river were
turned to blood"
Among all the Egyptian plaques
none could have beer worse than this.
The Nile is the wealth of Egypt. Its
fish the food. It's waters the irrigation
of garden and fields. Its condition de-
cides the prosperity or the doom OF the
empire. What happens to the Nile
happens to all Egypt. And now in the
text that great river is incarnadined.
It is a red cash across an empire. In
poetic license we speak OF wars which
turn the rivers into blood. But my text
is not poetic license. 1t was fact,
great crimson appalling condition, de-
scribed. The Nile rolling deep OF
blood. Can you imagine a more awful
plague?
The modern plague which nearest
corresponds with that is the plague OF
crime in all our cities. 1t halts not for
bloodshed. 1t shrinks from no carnage.
II bruises, and cuts, and strikes down,
and destroys. 1t revels in the blood oil
body and soul, this plague OF crime ram
pant for ages, and never bold ana more
rampant than now.
The annual police reports OF these
cities as l examine them are to me more
suggestive than Dante's Inferno" and
ali Christian people as well as reform
ers need to waken to present and ire
mendous duty. If you want this
'Plague OF Crime" to stop, there are
several kinds of persons you need TO
consider First, the public criminals.
You ought not to be surprised that
these people make up large portion in
many communities. The vast majority
of the criminals who take ship from
Europe, come into our own port. In
1869, of the $4,000 people who were in
carcerated in the prisons of the country
$4,000 were OF foreign birth. Many OF
them were the very desperadoes OF So
ciety oozing into the slums OF our
cities, waiting for an opportunity to
riot and steal and debauch, joining the
large gang Of American thugs and cut
throats.
There are in this cluster of cities
New York, Jersey City and Brooklyn
1900 people whose entire business in
life is to commit crime. That is as
much their business as Jurisprudence or
medicine or merchandise is your bust
ness. To it they bring all their ener-
gies of body. mind and soul, and they
look upon the intervals which they
spend in prison so much unfortunate
loss of time, just as you look upon an at
tack of influenza or rheumatism which
fastens YOU in the house for few days.
It is their lifetime business to pick
pockets, and blow up safes, and shop
lift, and ply the panel game, and they
have as much pride OF still in their
business as you have in yours when you
upset the argument OF OF an opposing
counsel, or cure q gunshot fracture
which other surgeons have given up,
or foresee turn in the market as you
buy goods just before they go up 20
per cent. 1t is their business to com
NIT crime, and do not suppose that
once in year the thought OF the i'm
morality strikes them. Added to these
professional criminals, American and
foreign. there is q large class OF men
who are more or less industrious in
crime. In one year the police OF this
cluster of cities arrested 10000 people
for theft and 10000 for assault and bat
terry and so, 600 for intoxication. Drunk
enness is responsible for much OF them
since it confuses mans ideas OF property
and he gets his hands on things that do
not belong to him. Rum is responsible
for much of the assault and battery in
spring men to sudden bravery, which
they must demonstrate though 1t be on
the face OF the next gentleman.
You might as we'll think to stand in a
closely confined room where there are
fifty people and yet not breathe the
vitiated air, as to stand in community
where there is such great multitude
Of the depraved without somewhat be-
ing contaminated. What is the fire that
burns your store down compared with
the conflagration that consumes your
morals? What is the theft Of the gold
and silver from your money safe COM
pared with the theft Of your children's
virtue?
We are all ready to arraign criminals
We shout at the top Of our voice, stop
thief" and when the police get on the
track we come out, hatless and in our
slippers, and assist in the arrest. We
come around the bawling rufian and
hustle him of to justice, and when he
gets in prison, what do we do for him?
With great gusto VIC put on the hand
cuffs and hoppels; butwhat preparation
are we making for the day when the
handouts and topples come of? So
ciety seems to say TO these criminals,
"villain, 10 in there and rot" when it
ought to have said, 'You are an Of
fender against the law, but we mean to
give you an opportunity to repent; we
mean to help you. Here are bibles and
tracts and Christian influences. Christ
died for you. Look and live"
You say, 81 have no patience with
these rogues." / ask you, in reply, how
much better would you have been under
the same circumstances? Suppose your