Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-11-13
MENACING CLASSES.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE ON DANGERS
THAT THREATEN SOCIETY.

REV. DR.. TALMAGE ON DANGERS
THAT THREATEN SOCIETY.
The Public Criminals Reform-The
Idlo CIassos-The Oppressed Poor-Dis.
crimInation In Charity = Putting Gar
ments to Glorious Uses.
copyright 1897. by American Press Asso-
ciation.]
WASHINGTON, Nov. Tn this ser
mon DR.. Talmage, in startling way,
speaks of the dangers threatening ou1
great towns and cities and shows how
the slumbering fires may be put out.
His text is Psalm Xxx, Is, 1.-The boar
out of the wood doth waste 1T, and the
wild beast of the field doth devour it. 4"
By this homoly but expressive figure
David sets forth the bad influences
which in olden times broke i'll upon
Gods heritage, rs 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 overshadow 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 ''the boar has wasted
it and the wild beast Of the field de-
voured it.
The Destructive Glasses.
propose to point out to you those
whom | consider to be the destructive
classes of society First. the public
criminals You ought not to be surprised
that these people make up n large pro-
portion of many communities. In 1863
of the 40, 900 people who were incarcer-
ated in the prisons of the country 3D.
600 were of foreign birth. Many OF
them were tho very desperadoes of So
cie.", oozing into the slums OF our cities,
wa ing for an opportunity to riot aud
steal and debauch, joining tho large
gang of American thugs and cutthroats.
There are in our cities people whose en-
tire business III life is TO commit crime
That is as much their business as jurls-
prudence or medicine or merchandise Is
your business. To it they bring all their
energies of body mind and soul, and
they look upon the interregnums which
they spend III prison as so much rnfor-
tunate loss of time, just as you look Up,
on all attack of Influenza or rheumatism
which fastens you in the house for a
few days 1t 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 il their
business as you have in yours when
you upset the argument of an opposing
counsel OF cure gun shot fracture
which other surgeons have given up or
foresee turn in the market so you buy
goods Just before they go up 20 per cent
1t is their business to commit crime,
and do not suppose that once in year
the thought CT the immortality strikes
them. Added to these professional Grim
inals, American and foreign, there is
large class of men who are moro or less
industrious in crime Drunkenness is
responsible for much of the theft, since
it coufdses q man S ideas Of property,
and he gets his hands on things that do
not belong to him Rum is responsible
for much of the assault and battery
inspiring men to sudden bravery, which
they must demonstrates though it be on
the face OF the next gentleman.
You help TO pay the board Of every
criminal, from tho sneak thief wEo
snatches spool of cotton up to some
man who enacts BLACK Friday >
More than that. it touches your heart
III the moral depression of the commu.
nifty You might as well think to stand
IN a closely confined room where there
are 50 people and yet not breathe the
vltiated air Us to stand III community
where there are so many of the deprayed
without somewhat being contaminated
What Is the fire that burns your store
down compared with the confasration
which CONSUMES your morals? What is
the theft of the gold and silver from
your money safe compared with the
theft of your children g virtue? We are
all ready to arralgn criminals. We
shout at the top of our voice, Stop
theft and when the police get Oh tie
track we come out hatless and Ill our
slippers and assist in the arrest We
come around tho bawling rutlian and
hustle him off to justice, and when he
gets Ill prison what do we do for him:
With great Gusto wa put on the hand.
cuffs and the hnpples. but what prepara-
ton are We making for the day when
the handouts and hopples come off? So
ciety seems to say to these criminals,
William, gu i'll there and rot. when 1t
ought to SHY. You are an offender
against the law, but We mean to give
you all opportunity to repent; we mean
to help you Here are Bibles and tracts
and Christian influences. Christ died
for you Look and live. 4" Vast improve,
ments have been made by introducing
industry into the prison, but we want
something more than hammers and
shoe lasts to reclaim these people. Aye,
we want more than sermons on the Sab
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
cinty has a grudge against them, and
they in turn have a grudge against SO
ciety.
Life In Prison.
They are harder in heart and more IN
furiate when they como out of Jail than
when they went in. Many of the people