Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-30
WHERE Is THV BROTHER?
The Ineficiency Of a Ball and
Chain to Reform.
Rev. Collins's Indictment of the Chain
Gang.
A Strong Sermon ON q RepelIent Subject,
which Is Practically Handled.
Matter to Be Considered
by Lawmakers.

Inlfu COn&IcSatiOAdA cnurcn, preacneu
from the text: Where is Thy Brother !?
Gen. 40.
Very few people have proper concep-
tions of their duty as individuals, as
citizens, as neighbors or as Christians.
It is not enough that we personally shall
do no evil, but we must do all in our
power to keep others from doing evil.
1t was not sufficient that the apostles
should accept the teachings of their
Lord, hut they were to go among all ma
tions, teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever they themselves had
been taught to observe. Upon their
shoulders rested the responsibility of
teaching all nations. In q very clear
sense they were to be their brothers'
keepers.
From the very form of our government
we are brought face to face with this
truth. Our responsibility for the well
fare of those about us, degraded though
they are, can be questioned only by
those who question the brotherhood Of
man, and the fatherhood OF God. Man
in bis original state is the work of the
hand, but man in all the
sinful environments and evil conditions
peculiar to our day, may be the work or
creature of untoward circumstances.
AS such, a man, fashioned and controlled
largely, if not wholly by such circum-
stances, may be vile in thought, foul in
heart, profane in word and criminal in
deed but is he not, in origin, our
brother? At the first was he not the
creature of Gods hand even as we?
And.has God not right to say to US
Where is thy brother?
ask this question tonight directly in
behalf of the men who are 30 unfortu-
nate as to constitute the chain gang
of this city. And expect many of you
will reply: "Am I my brothers.
keeper 2" want to answer as emphat-
ically as know how. yes, indeed! yes,
you are. There is somethingly strangely
inconsistent when we boast of our
Christian civilization, and the develop
ment of Christian philanthropy, while
at the same time we may hear the
clanking of the manacle, the rattling of
the chain and the rolling of the iron
ball attached to the ankle of our
brother. Dear Christian, as God asks
"Where is thy brother2" Dare you lift
you lift your heart and say: Father,
have decorated him with q ball and
chain for safe keeping" Or will you
dodge ii by that cowardly reply: "Am
1 my brothers. keeper" There are at
least two reasons why the ball and
chain should never be seen upon the
streets of this city.
First-In considering the prisoner,
admitting the fact that men do wrong
and deserve punishment therefor, is it
not an established fact that all punish
ment should tend toward reformation?
The government should deal with these
erring ones as father would deal with
an erring child. A wise father would
never think of crushing the child's
spirit. There is vast difference be-
tween reforming a young man and
crushing his spirit. For 1 defy any
man to say that the ball and chain ever
has in the past, does now or ever can
play any part in the reformation
of an erring brother. Degradation
and reformation are directly oppo-
site each other, and thing that tends
toward one cannot tend toward the
other. To manacle chain and ball to
the ankle of man and place him up on
the public highway, is to degrade him
lower than he has ever fallen, care not
what crime he may have committed.
And it is no wonder that few, very few,
who have been sunk by the city govern
ment into such horrible, fendish degra-
dation, ever try to lift their heads in
decent society; but should wonder if,
after such treatment from a so-called
Christian government, single heart
would ever feel the spark of manhood or
know an impulse toward that which is
noble. 1t seems to me that there is
nothing conceivable which would come
80 near wiping out the spark of the di-
vine, which may be found in every man,
as to fasten ball and chain upon him
and place him upon the public streets.
Where is thy brother? So he is in the
chain gang? Has he done wrong? Is
he being punished for that wrong? Is
he being punished in way which tends
to reform him? Or is he being punished
in way that tends to sink him lower in
the scale Of humanity than he could
otherwise sink? If go, upon whose
shoulders does the blame fall? The
ordinance establishing such inhuman
treatment is the creation of the city
council; and the city council is the crea'
ton OF the people, and upon the peoples
shoulders rests the responsibility.
Where is thy brother? Where is thy
brother?
But, says some one, how will we keep
the prisoners from escaping? Why not
an extra man or two to guard
the gang while at work on the streets?
By all odds make the prisoners work;
make them work harder than they do,
and make them work more hours day
than they do. Work is good for them
and they can't get too much of it; work
is honorable and the work they do on
the streets is the only honorable thing
some of them ever know. but do not de-
grade them by ball and chain. We
grant that if our view of the affair is
taken some few may escape; but who
will suffer if they do? Certainly not
the city.
Where is thy brother? would rather
answer that he had left for parts un-
known than to say, here he is, with a
ball and chain. Where is thy brother?
Second-As concerns society. Ger
tainly the punishment of petty offend
er is not so urgent as to demand the
degradation of society. If an offender
be deemed worthy of such inhuman
treatment, and if this city government
is bound to wreak out its vengeance
upon him, in the name of common de-
cency letsuch wreaking of vengeance be
done within thevaults of prison, where
growing youth may not become famil-
iarized with such degradation. 1t such
inhuman treatment as ball and chain
is deemed necessary to uphold the dig
nifty OF our city, let it be done in a way
that our wives and sisters shall not, In