The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-15
A MIXED MULTITUDE
The Rev.W m Grant breaches
on the Sunday Liquor
Selling Question.
THE FOREIGN ELEMENTS IDEA
II Seems. Says the Preacher, to
Have no Idea Of Our Fore
fathers Purposes,
THE FOREIGN ELEMENTS lDE

The Rev. william D.. Grant. pastor OF
the South Bergen Reformed Church. last
evening expressed some of his views con-
corning open saloons on Sundays. The
clergyman took his text from Numbe
liza. He spoke of the demand of Israel
for animal food and declared that this
sentiment was the result of the discomfort
instilled by a mixed multitude.
"As is often the case" the preacher
remarked, "a disappointed people will
do a great deal of mischief by injecting
society with sentiments arising through
a perverted moral vision. The children
| of Israel took the infection and began to
murmur and weep. This state of things
| arose from the children forgetting their
| own character and dignity and herding
| with the mixed multitude, learning its
| sentiments and being so influenced that
| they voiced them. The Hebrews, SEEM
| ingly, did not attempt to dissuade the
| mongrel multitude by showing the folly
| of their cause and thus endeavor to raise
it up to a higher plane. but on the con-
trary allowed themselves to be dragged
down to it's level, until the cry became
| general, Who shall give us flesh to eat!
OF course the mixed multitude had felt
| the lash of the Egyptian tax masters,
| and had been ground down by oppressive
| laws and could not therefore appreciate
deliverance.
| SENTIMENTS OF THE MIXED Null
TITUDE.
eve are not greatly disappointed.
therefore, tina the mixed multitude
should have become dissatisfied with
scanty food and long for a greater va
niety.9But we do feel disappointed with
Israel for adopting and voicing the SEN
timents of the mixed multitude. Such
acts give those sentiments a weight and
responsibility that they could not other
wise rave had. They forget how they
had sighed by reasons of their burdens
in Egypt and spoke with disdain of the
food with which they had been provided
in the Wilderness journey and like peev-
ish children wept again until God. as
though out of patience, gave them their
desire but sent leannes to their souls.
NOW the condition of the city OF
New York, to say nothing of the coun-
try at large, is not unlike Israel in the
Wilderness, associating with and being
Influenced by a mixed multitude the
character of which, as found in our
public school, consisted of twenty-nine
n-ationalities. Our greatest task to per-
form is not to Am~erican:ze the mixed
multitude as to language, but to
Americanize it with respect to senti-
ment and predelictions. The mixed null
titude in New York City, whose senti-
ment is centralized in the saloon, seems
to have no idea CT the reasons that
brought our forefathers here. The sa-
loon cause is for fortune. Our fathers
came here for freedom. Even when
this mixed multitude learns the genius
of our Institutions and governing }prin-
ciples of our ancestors, it is by no means
modest in proclaiming dissent there
from. The mixed multitude seems to have
an idea that the freedom of this coun-
try is such that every man is at liberty
to do what is right in his own eyes, ir-
respective of opinions or effect produced
IN others.
THE FOREIGN ELEMENTS IDEA.
"It seems to be expected that our laws
and sentiments will adapt themselves to
the habits, ~prejudices, feelings, morals
and supposed needs of our foreign popu-
lation without question or protest on
our part. In other words, that the city,
community and nation shall be run on
their level, to their liking for their sake,
no matter how u%nfavorable such a course
Ao PfOfS " 5OOu -oiGtl dAQ SOulQ
government. But to be specific, what
just now does the mixed multitude in
the city of New York want? The sa-
loon-I shall not say public sentiment
wants to have. the continental Sabbath
With all It's demoralizing effects. 1t
excise laws either repealed by a special
session of the Legislature or ignored by
the officials. whose business it is to
see that the law is enforced, and pro-
fesses to be greatly grieved and unjust
ly interfered with when German and
French. Austrian and Italian, Hungarian
and Turkish ideas and habits are not
permitted full swing on American soil.
But dare We, who love our country
and our kind, without most solemn pro-
the habits and the appetites begotten
and f~ostered under a very different con-
dition of things, socially and morally,
repeated here? Is 1t reasonable to ex-
pect that our American standard of Sab
bath and good order shall be lowered to
of those who come to us from countries
where the oppressive conditions have
been brought about mainly through the
disregard of those very laws and institu-
tons, the observance of which by us
makes our land the havea of the OPP
VINO FAVOR SUNDAY SALOONS.
The clergyman next sought to prove
that only those who are directly or in
directly interested in the financial well
sought to aid Their political ambitions
through the saloons.
II would like to know" said Mr.. Grant
in conclusion, how many of the 31,105
persons who some time ago voted
open saloon Sunday, were not directly
or Indirectly interested In the success of