The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-30
TAR AND FEATHERS.
DR.. Scudder's Sermon On Julia
Beam and Law and Order.

Before delivering his regular Sunday
evening discourse last evening, Pastor
John l.. Scudder. of the Tabernacle, had
this to say upon "Tar and Feathers as a
Means Of Refornl:"-
''The town of Glen Gardner has made
itself UNANIMOUSLY notorious throughout
the State of New Jersey bs the recent tar
and feathering of a helpless girl by a
company of cowardly men. A more in
delicate aud contemplate outrage cannot
be found in the annall of this State. I'm
agine half dozen brutish men stripping
n young woman of her clothing on a
bleak day in November, seizinc her by
her hair, hurting her to the ground, gag
ging her, giving her body a coat of tar
and feathers, and leaving her half dead
with cold auu fright. Can you conceive
anything more dastardly or diabolical?
Such action would make savage blush.
do not wonder these nlscreantS covered
their faces with masks, and one low fell
low. after the fashion of jeff. Davis, dis
gused himself in female attire. They
thought they could perpetrate their viii
lafny under cover and not be recognized,
but thanks to the public indignation
against them and their foul deed. :hey
have been identified and arrested. aud
are now awaiting their trial. May the
Goddess OF Justice drive them swiftly to
The prison door. strip off their garments
aud compel each one to wear a striped
suit. Words cannot express the gross in
dignity of this inhuman act 1t is Il ques-
tion which was the more disre putable,
the character of the young woman or the
conduct of these so-called regulators.
Their action was blacker than the tar
they daubed upon the body of their de-
fenseless victim.
LAW AND ORDER.
If her mode of life had been demoraliz-
Ing to the community. she ought to have
been dealt with according to law and re-
strained from her misdeeds. Recourse
to this outrageous expedient was un-
justifiable and unmaniy-a mere piece
of low brute force. 1t was an act of re-
venge rather than reform. lwonder how
men would like TO be treated after the
fashion of this unfortunate Julia Beam.
II every licentious man in the State of
New Jersey were treated to a coat of tar
and feathers. the price of tar would go up
with jump. The woods would be full
OF these unclean birds. Feathered bipeds
would be thicker than English sparrows.
Julia Beam and her class are not n whit
worse than the lewd men who consortwith
them and encourage their nefarious life.
IL is scarcely fair to pick out one Thought
less young woman and make such a
terrible example of her, especially one
whose early training was SO shockingly
deficient. Without a mot her to warn her
against the machinations Of designing
men, with coarse and brutal father who
beat her, but never sent her to church or
Sunday school; yoked TO lazy fellow who
deceived her in marriage, refused to sup
port her, and bid her earn her living by
immoral means, this unfortunate girl Is
to be pitied as much as she has been con-
demned. thank God for the Christian
sympathy which has gathered about her
since her shameful treatment in Glen
Gardner.
CRUEL AND cowARDLY.
Before That cruel outrage she was
friendless and sheterless; today there are
multitudes who are not only interested
in her material welfare aud reformation,
-but are willing TO aid her in securing JUS
tice snd punishing the men who have 80
grossly insalted aud prosecuted her. The
natural ten dency of the tar ana feathers
was to make her defiant, vindictive; de-
termined more than ever to lead young
men astray, But l trust and pray that
the interest godly women have taken in
her may be the means OF reclaiming her
from vicious life
"The cruel and cowardly treatment of
Julia Beam has certainly accomplished
one good result in stirring up the Chris
tian women of the State and showing
them how little they are doing in a prac
teal way to rescue fallen women. All
honor to Mrs. Emily E. Williamson of
Elizabeth, who has put the trumpet To
her lips and called the ladies of New Jer-
sey TO organize a society for the protec-
tion of innocent girls and the redemption
OF erring women. hope that she and
her coadjutors will be emlnentiy success
ful in their noble project, and may The
Lord bring salvation out of the disgrace
rul episode in Glen Gardner"