The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-05
THE PH.fRISEE REJOICES.
His Approval Is the Reward that Park hurst
May Hope to WIN.

The Rev. d. c. Potter preached In the Zap.
tist Tabernacle yesterday morning on tho
Prevention OF Crime and Pittsburgh Ques-
tion." His text was from John viii. s. Moses
In the law commanded that such should be
stoned. but what sayest thou?"
The preacher said: ut is an old question.
difficult. one.sided. Tho accusers brought the
woman only. Tho law requires that she TO
stoned. Certainly. perform the law. but the ex
ecutioners must DO sinless The Church suffers
from tho meddlng Of her ministers on all
subjects. and men devoid OF practical sense
nnd without experience commit us to turmoil
and folly Tho Pittsburgh pastors have pro-
duced n situation disgraceful and heartlcss.
and politics has become q mcddlcr in morals
in our city.
Tho Society for tho Prevention Of Crime.
over which well-known city pastor prcsidcs.
is simply scattering the crime 1t aims to pro-
vent. Nothing is prevented. save in tho locai-
ty where tho socioty's raids are made. Driven
out Of one place or street tho outcasts go to
another less public: or they wait tho chance
of returning. The effort is at suppression.
is misguided. Work OF that sort can only 10
Ear'i"al; tho resni,s but local and momsntary.
eliminating cbaracter ''t against 1T" diso or
a aedy 3SHhsps and then Hds tns
ers ON The one Sani p nSst"s Conf Hl
and damare Where tron e" u de "ss.sSsi
women are 1ragced through the streets. put
t. insult and deepsr in police court
criminal has been prevented. The untortu-
mates have only deeper degradation. a sorer
tho forces tina! brought about the open show
OF their sin. They are so much tho poorer so
much the more miserable. more hardened.
more desperate and despairing. Their future
is by 50 much as they have suffered the dark
sns psen He Sphss in
world but the immediate return OF the unfor-
tunates to their old HABITAT. They number no
they who already have sorrowed 80 much. lost
SO much. fallen SO low. are thrust lower. suffer
are ,wronEed once asain. tint l. all Was It
worth the doing? t. tho gain to society. at
arge ny WIN the r"st 70 society
fest Does society loathe he outcast, more
dsspy' In , aHy"nGs of Judgment. 1sioro
rulcly and brutalIy punished. the pubic SSI
heaven secured worth the while. tho ,cost con-
sidered. save a mighty gain to rharisceism
nnIs nt the sy ana its stm
haunts have been ADVERTISED from pulpit and
and The case is net
according to knowledge. Common sense
Is uttnTOneu ana SnamB is ucdu. Ana
this sort Of prevention deters no criminal,
hinders no crime The rcformers seem to
have the energy of u frenzy. the rhetoric aud
Tehemence OF q geyser. the gesticulation OF u
Dutch wind m III. and the soul Of Don QuiXote
To make the Society for the Prevention Of
Crime useful and successful along it's present
cerate. and asrhyxiate. Then. and then only
would it prevent crime. To lot loose over n
thousand volunteer SPIES in this city to expose
! criminals and degraded women for punish
ment aud torture will be but to exploit II
scheme devoid of any merit hut nov"lty. and
hardly that. 1t will reclaim no one. convert
no SOUL but 1t viii imreril every honest man
who can be misguided into its undertaking..
Punishment is not prevention. Punish
ment is not reformation. 1t hut wdens tho
gulf separating the degraded and unfortunate
from tho relief and sl,ccor that they have tho
right to expect from the Church OF Christ and
which the Church of Christ ought to give The
bent and hurdcned back OF tho wreiched the
outcast. and tho sinner should feel no sting
from the scourEe in tho hands of a Christian
minister
''Tha minister's place is not with the per-
secutors IT is not with the prosecutors. 1t
is not with the brutal accusers. who camor
that she be- punished for her sin. No nun was
ever ordained by a Church to be a public pros
ecutor. 1t is his place to preach mercy to tho
sinner: to call for repentance. and not to
spring traps to catch nor set spies to betray.
He does not belong with tho hypr?crites who
wish to cast the stones. He should be stand
ing by and behind that marvellous Man Of
pity spoke softly % the heurtbroken: Neither
Al tI.JNp lima. ,l Gi