Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-04-17

escapes only opens the door for othe
criminalites. When these people q
unarrested and unpublished. it is puttin
"A high premium upon vice. and saying I
the young criminals of this country
what u safe thing IL Is 10 be grea
criminal" Let the law swoop upon them
Let IL be known in this country that Grim,
will have no quarter. that the detective
are after 1t, that the police club Is bein,
brandished, that the iron door Of III,
prison is being opened, that the Judge 4
ready to call on the case. Too grea
leniency 10 criminals is too great severit,
10 society.
Again: in your efforts TO arrest thi.
plague of crime, you need 10 consider the
idle population. or course, / do not refer
to people who are getting old, or TO the
sick, or to those who cannot get work; bu,
/ tell you TO look out for those athletic men
and women who will not work. | do no,
care who the man is, you cannot afford %
be idle. II is from the idle classes that the
criminal classes are made up. Character,
like water, gets putrd If IL stands still too
long. i have watched these do-nothings
who spend their time stroking their boards.
and re-touching their toilet. and criticizing
industrious people, and pass their days and
nights in bar-rooms and club houses.
loungiDg and smoking and chewing and
card-playing. These men for awhile smoke
the best cigars, and wear the best clothes.
and move in the highest sphere; but have
noticed that very soon they come down TO
the prison, the almshouse or stop at the
| gallows.
In this cluster of cities, whose cry OF
want interpret there are said TO be- as
far as can figure IL up from the reports.
about three hundred thousand honest poor
who are dependent upon individual, city or
state charities. If all their voices could
come up at once, it would be groaA that
would shake the foundation of the city.
and bring all earth and heaven TO the
rescue. But, for the most part it suffers
unexpressed II sits in silence, gnashing
its teeth, and sucking the blood Of its own
arteries, waiting for the Judgment day.
oh, should not wonder il on that dav il
would be found out that some of us had
some things that belonged TO them; some
extra garment which might have made
them comfortable in cold days: some bread
thrust into the ash barrel that might have
appeased their hunger for little while:
some wasted candle or gas Jet that might
nave kindled up their darkness; some
fresco on the ceiling that would have given
them roof; some Jewel which, brought TO
that orphan girl in time. might have kept
her from being crowded of the prccipices
OF an unclean life; some New Testament
that would have told them of him who
came 10 seek and save that which was
lost. Oh, this wave of vagrancy and
hunger and nakedness that dashes against
our front door step, If the roofs Of all the !
houses OF restitution could be lifted so we /
could look down into them just as God !
looks, whose nerves would be strong /
enough TO stand 1t? Aud yet there they |
are. The fifty thousand sewing women
in these three cities, some of them in
hunger and cold, working night after
night until sometimes the blood spurts
from nostril and lips. How We'll their
grief was voiced by that despairing
woman who stood by her invalid husband
and invalid child. and said TO the city mis-
II am down hearted. Every
things against US; and then there are
other things" What other things?"
said the city missionary. 60" she re-
piled, "my SIM" What do you mean by
that?' We'll, F" she said. Il never hear or
see anything good. It's work from Mon
day morning till Saturday night, and then
when Sunday comes | can't 20 out, and /
walk the floor, ard it makes me tremble to
think that have got TO meet God. O sir,
It's so hard for US. We have to work so,
and then we have so much trouble, and
.ben we are getting along so poorly; and
see this wee little thing growing weaker
md weaker; and then TO think we are not
getting nearer to God. but floating away
rom him. o, sir, do wish | was ready
10 die"
should not wonder If they had good
leal better time than we in the future, 10 ,
make up for the fact that they had such ,
bad time here. 1t would be Just like Jesus ,
o say: Come up and take the highest
seats. You suffered with ne on earth;
low be glorified with me in heaven" O.
hou weeping One Of Bethany! O, thou
lying One of the cross! Have mercy on
he starving, freezing, homeless poor of
hese great cities
have preached this sermon for four or ;
I've practical reasons: Because i want you ,
o know who are the uprooting classes Of ,
society. Because | want you 10 be more y.
discriminating in your charities. Because
want your hearts open with generosity. ]
md your hands open with charity. {
Because ] want you 10 be made sworn
ricnds of all city ovangclization,s and all ]
lewsboys' lodging houses, and all {
'hildren's aid societies and Dorcas
ocieties under the skilful manipulation ,
If wives and mothers and sisters and ,,
daughters; let the spare garments OF your
yardrobes be fitted 10 the limbs Of the wan
md shivering. | should not wonder ii {
hat hat that you gave should come back {
eweled coronCt, or If that garment that |
'ou hand out from your wardrobe should ,
nysteriously be whitened. and somehow /,
wrought into the Saviour's own robe. so in :
he last day he would run his hand over it.
nd say: II was naked and yeclothed me. . l
That would be putting your garments TO
glorious uses I
But more than that, | have preached the /
ermon because | thought in the contrast, c
ou would see how very kindly God had :
ealt with you, and | thought that thou \
ands Of you would go TO your comfortable =
zones, and sit at your we'll filed tables. and
4 the warm registers, and look at the q
ound faces OF your children, and that then q
ou would burst into tears at the review I
4 Gods goodness TO you and that YOU I
would go To your room and lock the door. {
ys,no -