Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-11-12
MENACING CLASSES.
REV. Or. TALMAGE ON DANGERS
THAT THREATEN SOCIETY.

copyright. 1897. by American Press Asso-
ciationl
WASHINGTON, Nov. Tn this ser
mon Dr. Talmage, in startling way,
speaks Of the dangers threatening our
great towns and cities and shows how
the slumbering fires may be put out
His text is Psalm Xxx, 49, 1.-The boar
out Of the wood doth waste it, and the
wild beast Of the field doth devour it. "
By this homely but expressive figure
David sets forth the bad influences
which in olden times broke in upon
Gods heritage, as with swine's foot
trampling. and as with swine's snout
uprooting the vineyards of prosperity.
What was true then is true now. There
have been enough trees Of righteousness
planted TO oyershadOw the whole earth
had it not been for the axmen who
hewed them down. The temple Of truth
would long ago have been completed had
it not been for the iconoclasts who de-
faced the walls and battered down the
pillars. The whole earth would have
been an Eschol Of ripened clusters had
it not been that 1.-THE boar has wasted
it and the wild beast of the field de-
youred 1t. "
The Destructive Glasses.
| propose to point out to you those
whom consider to be the destructive
classes of society. Fisst, the public
criminals You ought not TO be surprised
that these people make up large pro
portion of many communities. In 1869
of the 49, 600 people who were incarcer-
ated in the prisons Of the country 81.
600 were of foreign birth Many OF
them were the very desperadoes OF 90
ciety, oo2ing into the slums OF our cities,
waiting for an opportunity to riot and
steal and debauch, joining the large
gang Of American thugs and outthroats
There are in our cities people whose en-
tire business in life is to commit crime
That is as much their business as juris.
prudence or medicine or merchandise Is
vour business To it they bring all their
energies of body, mind and soul, and
they look upon the interregnums which
they spend in prison as so much unfor
tuuate loss of time, Just as You look up
Oh an attack of influenza or rheumatism
which fastens you in the house for
few days It is their lifetime business
to pick pockets and blow up safes and
shop lift and ply the panel game, and
they have as much pride Of skill in their
business as you have in yours when
Won upset the argument Of an opposing
counsel or cure a gun shot fracture
which other surgeons have given up or
foresee a turn In the market so you buy
goods Just before they 90 up 20 per cent
J IL is their business to commit crime
and do not suppose that once IN year
the thought Of the immortality strikes
them Added to these professional Grim
inals, American and foreign. there Is
large class of men who are mere OF less
industrious in crime. Drunkenness Is
responsible for much of the theft since
il confuses man 5 ideas OF property
and he gets his hands Oh things that do
not belong to him Rum is responsible
for much of the assault and battery,
inspirinQ men to sudden bravery, which
they must demonstrate, though 1t be on
the face Of the next gentleman.
You help to pay the board OF every
criminal. from the sneak thief who
snatches a spool Of cotton up to some
man who enacts "Black Friday
More than that, it touches your heart
in the moral depression Of the commu-
nitv You might as well think to stand
in closely confined room where there
are so people and yet not breathe the
vitiated air as TO stand III a community
where there are so many of the depraved
without somewhat being contaminated.
What is the fire that burns your store
down compared with the cOntiagration
which consumes your morals? What is
the theft of the gold and silver from
vour money safe compared with the
theft of your children's virtue? We are
all ready to arraign criminals we
shout at the top Of our voice, stop
thief" and when the police get on the
track we como out hatless and III our
SINNERS and assist in the arrest We
come around the bawling ruffian and
hustle him off TO justice, and wheh ne
gets IN prison what do we do for him!
With great gusto we put on the hand
cuffs and the hopples, but what prepara'
tion are we making for the day when
the handouts and hopples come on So
ciety seems TO say to these criminals
"Villain, 90 i'll there and rot. when II
onoht TO say, "You are an offender
against the law, but we mean to give
Won an opportunity to repent; we mean
to help You. Here are Bibles and tracts
and Christian influences Christ dled
for Won Look and live" " Vast improve
ments have been made by introducing
. industry into the prison, but we wanl
! something more than hammers and
| shoe lasts to reclaim these people. Aye,
S we want more than sermons on the SAB
I bath day Society must impress these
men with the fact that it does not enjoy
, their suffering. and that it is attempt
ing TO reform and elevate them. The
majority Of criminals suppose that so
q ciety has a grudge against them. anc
they in turn have a grudge against 50
a ciety.
/ Life In Prison.
a They are harder in heart and more III
D furiate when they come out OF jail thar
when they went in Many OF the people
who 20 to prison go again and agair
and again. Some years ago OF l. 300 prls
ouers who during the year had been II
Sing Sing 400 had been there before Ii
house of correction in the country
where during certain reach OF tim'
there had been 200 people more thai
4 600 had been there before SO IN on'
case the prison and in the other case tn'
mousse of correction left them Just as oa'
"a they were before. The secretary o
q nne Of the benevolent societies oil New
York saw a lad 10 years of age who na'
spent three years Of his life IN prison
l. and he said TO the lad, what hay.
they done for you to make you better
"Well, replied the lad, "the frst tim
was brought up before the Judge n
~ w., o,ght IN bo ashamed OF your