The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-05-11
LAW OR AWLESSuHSS {!
Pastor Randolph Talks of Sun
day Observance to
His Congregation.

Rev. D. B. F. Randolph, of Trinity
NJ. E. Church. last night as a prelude to
his regular sermon, had the following
interesting remarks to make about Sun
day Law or Saloon Lawlessness.''
| Whatever view we take, in the church
! or out of it, respecting the enforcement
of the Sunday law against the saloon
| traffic. there are three facts every man
must face.
/ First, that the country is in a state
of general and increasing 1awlessness. In
| the nine years ending with 1894 there
| was in the United States not less than
! 1900 honlicides and murders, while in
| the first of these years the number were
| 1,449, in the last it was $500. The alarm
| ing consideration. however, is that while
| one thousand of these crimes were pun
ished by legal executions. one thousand
| five hundred of them were supposed to
| pc punished by Illegal lynchlngs. In
the six years ending with 1894 there were
sible for the law to punish; 2,224 in the
hrst OF these SIX years and 1912 in the
last. 1t would seem that the cheapest
| thing in the United States is human life,
| and the price of a man on the market is
| constantly and rapidly declining. Lesser
| crimes OF course follow, the pace that
| Tribune" which has had for years
| department devoted to the subject, more
| important than the weather bureau, and
even more reliable, has shown that 1894
was the darkest year of crime in the his
tory OF the nation.
aBut the present state of a country,
like the present state of man, is not
so significant and instructive as its pres
ent trend and tendency Thered is q grow
ing disposition among the people to usurp
the functions of Judges and juries; dis
position to punish crime by committing
crime This is encouraged by growing
uncertainty in all the legal processes,
which discovers a grave defect also in
the legal administrat ton. There is
popular Inclination to apologize for this
violence and weakness even in some
newspapers and some puipits to cheer
| the MOB on, to sink personal responsi-
| blllty in general disorder to weep ssenti-
mental tears and sentimental petitions
| over the just fate of the known criminal
| with little regard to the fate of the un-
tried and o1ten unotfending victims.
| Hon. Andrew D. White expressed a gen
eral conviction when he said that about
| the only taking of life Americans object
| to seems to be that which is done by
| judicial process.
s'All this shows a deep and widespread
disrespect for the law even more alarm
ing than the crimes themselves. 1t is
now an open question. whether we are
| more governed Dy the impulses and pas
sions of the hour. Lawlessness is ram
| pant.
ed to the saloon. The saloon is notorious
5rao,,ar the gre great .+;oa wholssale law
| dealers in New York City, and the great
majority of them are persistent violators OF
the law The liquor dealers have special
| laws to demonstrate the legality and re-
| spectability of their business, and yet when
they are not actually in the, hands of the
today, they break them right ana left,
openly and detiantly. They formally re-
solve to keep their side doors open on the
Sabbath, as if the side doors were moral
and religious. They even pass resolu-
tions to boycott the foreman of the Grand
Jury in this county simply because he is
threaten the storekeepers whom they
themselves have led into open violations
Of the Sunday law; and the great major
ity of them are now only waiting until
the excitement subsidies to trample under
foot every law they do not happen to
Ike. They have succeeded in teaching
sworn officials to wink at their criminal
ity,. they have instructed political parties
to bid for their support by promising not
to enforce the law where IT was not
only responsible. according to the most
competent criminologsts for three-quar-
ters Of the actual crimes committed, but
is still more directly responsible for the
general disrespect which all law and order
has come to be regarded Boys young
men, emigrarrts and persons viciouslly in
the virtuously disposed, are receiving from
the saloon. at the public expense, a full
education in contempt Of American law.
st'Tile third fact is:-
tsThat the Sunday law against the sa-
loon is now the battle ground Of law and
order in America, the Gettysburg on
which all our legal interests will turn for
many years to come.
1.-THE people of this country have agreed
to be governed by law administered by
authorized tribunals. They have agreed
that justice is in the hands of the people
for the people only when it is administered
by such tribunals under the law. There
fore any body of men that takes JUS
tice out of the hands of these tribunals
however reasonable it may seem TO them
to do so, is not the people but mob.
Every clear headed saloon keeper will see
that as applied to everybody .rbut him
self. The great question before us at
this time. therefore is not the Sunday
question. but question for every day II.
the week: it is not religious question,
hut civil question; 1t is not a temperance
question. but question fundamental to
all American questions, viz.:-Are the laws
to be obeyed or are they not? Are we
to be governed by the authorized tribun-
ais under the laws or by the liquor mob?
Is it anarchy or order? If in this CON
flict the saloon feels itself abused by be-
ing distinguished above all other violators
Of the Sunday law. It has only 70 con
suit its record to find the reason why
Sunday law or saloon lawlessness?