The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-02
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HOLY mBRIC-A-BRAC
Rev. ]. L. scudder Defines
a Minister Before the
Law and Order
League.
DIGS FOR COUNTY OFFICIALS
President Hathaway Takes a Gloomy
View Of the Sunday Clos
ing Movement.

Ef-+tNr.
the reverend members of the Law and
Order League of Jersey City were In a
cynical mood last night in the Lafayette
N e. Church, where they met to discuss
the work of the League in compelling this
closing of saloons on Sunday. They
didn't mince matters either. The Grand
Jury, the Prosecutors office, the Sheriff
and other powers that be came in for
criticism. not direct it is true, but by
implication.
The body of the church was well filed.
more than two-thirds of the audience
being composed of women, who took a
lively interest in the speeches. On the
platform sat Rev. !. W. Hathaway of
the. Westminster Presbyterian Church,
that bulldog whom we all ADMIRE as
Rev. John L. Scudder enthusiastically
called him: Rev. Johnnie. Allen of the
Bergen Baptist Church, Rev. 7. J. Kom-
mers of Lafayette Reformed Church, Rev.
G. G. Little of the Lafayette M. E..
Church and Pastor Scudder of the Taber-
nacle, who made one of his character
istic. breezy speeches.
Pastor Hathaway after the choir had
sung Send Out Thy Light" proceeded
to throw some light on what the League
had done, was doing and proposed to do.
1t had opposed to it. he said, the powers
of evil, but if only the Christian people
were aroused there would be such an up
rising that this power would be over
whelmed.
He was tempted. he said, to bring with
him letters full of groanings which
could not be uttered" from widows,
mothers and fathers pleading for him to
exert his influence against the saloon, and.
the reading of which letters, he continued,
would bring tears to his auditors eyes;
but he left these letters at home.
My Christian friends he continued,
'sonly think of how difficult our work is.
Why, one of our highest Judges OF the
bench said to me: Mr.. Hathaway, you
have no idea or comprehension Of the
perjury and rottenness conferred in the
Court House of Hudson county Then
take. If you please, our Aldermen when
they are considering. forsooth. a license.
If no protest be entered against it it is
granted.
Pastor Hathaway then gave an example
of the wicked things lone on Sunday.
Some one started to blast rock behind
his church, but he protested and the
blasting stopped. If only the society
would act no dissertation of the Sabbath
would be tolerated. He closed his pre-
liminary speech by Introducing Rev. ].
c. Allen, and that gentleman plunged
~nervously into a jeremiad against those,
attempt to lower the standard Sofs
law.
Pastor Allen said he had a some K
perience of law, and when he said
this some of the audience craned
their necks in anticipation of herr
Ing some explanation respecting the
recent divorce suit brought against
him by his wife, but he avoided
that awkward subject and said tina he
was Disguised and shocked at public
men who passed laws merely a step
above the old law. Law should simply
consist of Thou shalt and thou shalt
1t was absurd, he said, to .refiite
the idea that ideal avs were impracti-
cable.
Mr.. Allen then wandered off to the
saloons and said that they were respon-
sible for all the crime. AS for municipal
officers more than half of them were COR
rupt. He believed hat children should be
taught to reverence the law, andaif%that
were done I'VE would have more rever-
and chivalry in our country for
His last remark caused some
of the ladies to whisper to each other and
Rev. John L. Scudder was heartily re-.
ceived and he humorously observed that
II n proof were needed that the Chill
nren of were wiser than those
the Children of Light let thesa audience 4
contemplate the lessons of the last
s~hrieyalty election in Hudson county. The
trouble was that the people lacked
Instead of going to the polls
and take no interest in politics. The
speaker hit the nail squarely ON the head
when he said church people did their
talking after election and not before.
the next blow, lis that we spend a deal |
our Christian muscle in talk and
prayer while the sinners are hustlfng.
What we need is a revival of patriotism.
We must study politics. We must take
into Christianity. Dur members
think that a minister is a creature only
be invited to an afternoon tea and
regarded as a piece Of holy bric-a-brac-
Sydney Smith meant when he said society |
divided into three classes Men.
women and ministers" Renewed laugh |
teri
AS an object lesson which he said |
should be followed by the Law and Order |
League, Pastor Scudder read a circular |
out before he hrievalty election BY
the Hudson County Liquor Dealers, Assoc |
citation in which were the words, s.Mr.
doesn't believe in turning his office
into a hotbed of fanatics"
That's u.s." said DR.. Scudder, with a
fine disregard of Lindley Murray, and
laughed and seemed to- enjoy
being called a fanatic.
You may ridicule these liquor men. Z
continued Mr.. Scudder, but 1 tell you |
they fight shoulder to shoulder. Why
don't we do the same thing? Talk Of YOUR 1
politician. He is like a ferryboat. He can
go any way, with one end as we'll as the 1
other and collect at either end.
If we had an organization as
the LIQUOR dealers have and numbered |
about 5000 strong. we could make either
get on their knees to us. But they |
don't have to, because our numbers are
scattered. Mind, / don't want you. to |
Form a new political party, but simply |
2 party to enforce the law. (~AppIause.)
President !. w. Hathaway came next
and in his frank way he began by pitch |