The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-08-12


her son were present incognito.
Yes, 60 further, my friends, and
inray for your police. Their perils and
temptations are best known to them
selves. They hold the order and peace
of your cities in their grasp. But for
their intervention you would not be
safe for an hour. They must face the
storm. They must rush in where 1t
seems to them almost instant death.
They must put the, hand OF arrest on
the armed maniac and corner the muir
derer. They must refuse large re-
wards for withdrawing complaints.
They must unravel intricate plots and
trace dark labyrinths of crime and de-
velop suspicious into certainties. They
must be cool while others are frantic.
They must be vigilant while others are
somnolent, impersonating the very viii
lainy they want to seize. In the po-
lice forces of our great cities are to-day
men of as thorough character as that
of the old detective of New York, ad-
from London asking for help ten years
after he was dead-letters addressed to
Jacob Hayes, High Constable of New
York" Your police need your APP
probation, your sympathy, your graft
tude, and, above all, your prayers. Yea,
l want you to go further and pray every
day for prison inspectors and Jail keep
ers, work awful and foeneticent. Rough
men, cruel men, impatient men, are not
fit for these places. They have under
their care men who were once as goodas
you, but they got tripped up. Bad
company or strong drink or strange
conjunction of circumstances flung
them headlong. Go down that prison
corridor and ask them how they got in
and about their families and what their
early prospects in life were, and you
will find that they are very much like
yourself, except in this, that God kept
you while He did not restrain them.
Just one false step made the difference
between them and you. They want
more than prison bars, more than Jail
fare, more than handouts and hop
piers, more than avermin-coveredc couch
to reform them. Pray God day by day
that the men who have these unfortu-
mates in charge may be merciful, Chris
tianly strategic and the means of refor-
nation and rescue.
MY word now is to all who may come
to hold any public position of trust in
any city: You are Gods representa-
tives. God, the King and Ruler and
Judge, sets you in His place. Oh, be
faithful in the discharge of all your du-
ties, so that when all our cities are in
ashes and the world itself is red scroll
of flame, you may be in the mercy
and grace of Christ rewarded for
your faithfulness 1t was that feel
ing which gave such eminent
qualifications for Office to Neal Dow,
mayor of Portland, and to Judge
Mclean, of Ohio, and to Benjamin F,
Butler, encouragement of New York,
and to George Briggs, governor of Mas.
sachusetts, and to Theodore Freling-
huysen, senator of the United States
and to William WHEREFORE, member OF
the British parliament. You may make
the rewards of eternity the emoluments
of your office. What care you for adj
verse political criticism if you have God
on your side? The one, or the two, OF
the three years of your public trust will
pass away, and all the years of your
earthly service, and then the tribunal
will be lifted before which you and
must appear. May God make you SC
faithful now that the last scene shall be
to your exhilaration and rapture!
wish to eXhort all good people, whether
they are the governors or the governed
10 make one grand effort for the saliva.
ton, the publication, the redemption OF
our American cities. Do you not know
that there are multitudes going down
to ruin, temporal and eternal, dropping
quicker than words drop from my lips
Grogshops swallow them up. Gambling
hells devour them. Houses of shame are
damning them. Oh, let us toll and pray
and preach and vote until all these
wrongs are righted! What we do we
must do quickly. With our rulers, and
on the same platform, we must at last
come before the throne of God to an.
swer for what we have done for the
lettering of our great towns. Alas, il
on that day it be found that your hand
has been idle and my pulpit has beer
silent! 0, We who are pure and honest
and Christian, go to work and help tc
make the cities pure and honest and
Christian!
Lest it may have been thought that ]
am addressing only what are called the
better classes, my final word is to some
dissolute soul to whom these words
may come. Though you may be GOV
cred with all crimes, though you may
be smitten with all leprosies, though
you may have gone through the whole
catalogue of iniquity and may no,
have been in church for 20 wears. yor
may have your nature entirely recon
structed, and upon your brow, hot
with Infamous practices and besweatec
with exhausting indulgences, God will
place the flashing coronet of Saviour.
forgiveness. "Oh, mol" you say. 81
you knew who am and where came
from, you wouldn't say that to me