The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-27
SERMONS In
CHURCHES.
The Duty Of the People to
the Criminals at the
Present Time.

| lASoSAS lluSs
In the Unitarian Church yesterday
morning Rev. Alexander T. Bowser 1e-
livered an interesting sermon.
His text was III one member suffer all
the members suffer with It'll Cor 1925
'in considering the relations Of society
to tho prisoner the first inquiry should DO
regarding tho object OF punishment. Why
should the state punish its criminal men,
bers9 The old answer was very simple:
IAN owe for an eye and tooth for touth."
According to its ideal tile only end in view
WINS vengeance; and there arc many good
people in this community who think tho
| laws OF Moses apply to prison discipline
| better than the principles of the Gospel,
But the spirit Of Christian love and human
sympathy Is at work. oven In Delaware,
bringing public opiuion up to the high
outlook of St. Paul, from which wo are
beginning to see that the relation between
society and the criminal is that OF the
body to its members.
Indeed, tie state Of things In the prison
system OF this commonw ealth is SO bad
that one Is really ashamed to men,
ton 1t above his BREATH and l hesitate to
offend the ears of decency by attempting
to speak of 1t here. But picture to your
selves If you can, that loathsome lodging
placeSknown as tho ''bum cell" at New
Castle. 1t Is q room with one door OPEN
ing into the prison yard, and has no win
dow; 1T is perhaps forty by twenty-five feet
In size, with n floor of cement. There Is
no ventilation. no heat, no furniture,
nothing whatovor except what each indi-
yidual may have upon his person when he
lies down for the night.
But aside from the physical discomfort
and danger to heal h which this outrage
inflicts upon the prisoner, what must be
the social and moral influence Of such an
abomination? Let single example illus
trate Its bitter consequence on tie charac-
ter and future career Of Its victims Sup
pose n case-althongh scores Of similar
cases could be given from actual expert
cnce. But suppose young man of good
family and OF good conduct hitherto Is con.
victod in our city court OF some pctty
crime. He is sent over TO the prison in
New Castle for few months. Thus the
commonwealth should seek to protect the
commonwealth. But to secure this result
1t should seek also the reformation Of tho
criminal. That is to say(keeping in mind
the figure of our tex) the only real pro-
tCptinn IF tho hnIv 1iol IN "a II Of tba
afflicted member Now il this result Sc
cured. In the caso Of this young man, by
our method of treating prisoner? Does
he return, in tho course Of three or six
months, to his place in the lfo of our city,
ceansed of his sin, forgiven for his fault,
and restored to our respect and confidoncep
Why, no! Mono of these things happon.
No one expected hat would happen. Tho
very mention Of such result seems absurd
SO far is it from the regular and long COIL
rinucd experience of the city. THIS young
man, heretofore had not been vicious, but
yielded to temptation through weakness
alone, returns from prison n marked man,
is avoided as n criminal character, and
Stunned Us II moral pest Moreover no one
is surprised to read in tho morning paper,
some few weeks later, that he has boon ar-
rested again, and sent buck to New Castle
for II longer term within those walls whose
very atmosphere is contaminated with mo.
raj filth, to be furthe. poisoned in heart
and mind b. daily. hourly association with
hardened criminals.
A mighty effort must be made this week
to convince the lawmakers at Dover that
the principles Of religion and morals and
political expedency all unite in demand
Ing the passage of this bill, md that tho
way be opened at once for prison reform
no stone should remain unturned, no legi-
innate influence fail Of direct pressure, in
thia effort to assure the meInbers of our
state government that now is tho time for
action and TINT their constituents expect
them to take such action Us shall make the
wovkhousc bill tho Inv OF tho state.
'Hachsus, the little man of the Bible"
WAS the subject Of m able sermon by Rev.
i. Cornwall Jennings in Hanover Pres
byterian church.
A series of services at Hanover Prcsby.
terinn church will begin next Sunday and
will continue for two weeks. 1t will DO q
notable religious gathering. The full ar
rangements will 10 completed on Wednes-
day evening. Prominent ministers from
out of town will will be in at,edance.
In Exon NJ. II. church yesterday tho SER
mon was preached by Raw. ". J. Moore,
OF Newark, n. j.
Rev. l.. Baldwin d. D.. was the preach
err in Grace NJ. H. church yesterday.
In Delaware Avenue Baptist church yes
tcrday Rev. Abe &. Jones preached the sor-
mon.
Rev. Il. n. Williams of Saratoga was
tho preacher in the First Congregational
church.
Special services will be conducted in st.
Patrick's church on Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday evenings.
DR.. Bulls Cough Syrup Is used by the