The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-07-27
PULPIT ORATORS
MAY DISCUSS IT.
Canton Ministers Talk of the
FOckler Incident.
THE GREED FOR NoToRIETY
IL Talked of by One Canton Pastor-All
Think the Law should Have Been
Appealed to by Mansfield
People.

Think the Law Should Have Been
Appealed to by Mansfield
People.
It would not be surprising IL the
mobbing of the Rev. Cyrus B. Focklrr
at Mansfield last Saturday, would be
made the subject of comment in Can
ton pulpits next Sunday. Several city
pastors have been watching the case
very closely, and they show DISPOSE
tion to express themselves with some
vigor. That Fockler was altogether
blameless none Of them assert, but they
do not see that this in any sense ex-
cuses the actions Of the mob Of people
who engaged in the unseemly demon
stration.
The fact that several of the city pas
tors have been making inquiries, person.
ally, into the case shows the interest It
has aroused among the ecclesiastics.
Several of them, however, declined to
express themselves, because, they said,
they were not sufficiently cognizant of
Fockler's actions and the allegations
against him.
A News-Democrat man talked Of the
Mansfield incident with Rev. Dr. c. r.
Manchester, pastor Of the First M. Il.
church, who has always taken a large
interest in matters Of civil government.
From my point Of view," said Rev.
Manchester, decidedly, "a Christian
man ought to be
OBEDIENT TO THE LAW
first Of all. That is the paramount
idea. The people were wrong, in taking
the law into their own hands. I Judge
from the newspaper accounts see, that
the authorities in Mansfield rather
winked at the action of the mob, until 1t
became unruly enough to be dangerous.
Their conduct is without excuse-is
more culpable really than that of the
people. The authorities of Mansfield
set very poor example to the people Of
that city.
"Fockler, 1t should be remembered"
continued DR.. Manchester, "is entitled
to a fair and impartial hearing. One
can never get that atsthe hands of n
mob Of frenziedY human beings. I am
not prepared to say, mind you, whether
. he is right or wrong. He seems to
have antagonized the people of Mans
field and alienated the civil officers who
would otherwise have protected him
more thoroughly. But that is not the
question. That does not effect the
psychical aspect Of the situation, for 1t
did not affect the right of Fockler to
avail himself Of the protection Of the
;. law"
Rev. j. c. Hathaway, rector Of St.
Paups church, was very willing to talk
on the impression he had gained by q
close study of the Mansfield incident.
II have thought over that thing a
great deal the past few days." said
J he. "The proposition which stands out
most clearly to me in my study of the
case is this: That a mans liberty of
speech Is measured by the strength of
his convictions. The enthusiast who is
sincere Is less dangerous than the zealot
who mixes his convictions with an in
satiate greed for notoriety. Much de-
pends on the success or failure Of the
movement with which he is associated.
Patrick Henry had his convictions, and
expressed them. That was treason, un-
til the whole nation took UP the cause
for which he spoke. Then he was n
patriot, hero.
LESSON TO THE CHURCH.
"But good comes out Of all these
at the time, to all. All this social and
psychical phenomena we see today Is
simply the inarticulate, often uncon-
scious cry Of the great People, whom
the Church Of today does not satisfy.
1t is a sign of the tendency of the age,
these demonstrations. this Christian SCI
ence and all the kindred religious hal
lucinations-come as a reaction from
hav ff
radical extremes. Gods people, by
which I mean the church of today, are
becoming skeptcal. They no longer
pray They no longer allow their lights
to shine. And so these things come to
us as cry. pitiful wall from huma n
ity, which scarcely realizes that the
=, need 1t feels is the religion of Christ
y which alone can satisfy it's cravings
Y There's a lesson here for the church.
which is so frequently falling short OF
it's opportunities. The Christian of to-
day does not let his light shine forth as
he should. There has been a falling
away in zeal. on the part of the la
borer'sin Gods vineyard, and humanity
unsatisfied it knows not why, cries out
and casts about for the remedy like the
infant that Graves the breast of its
mother, and cries 1t knows not why.
SOULS ARE HUNGRY.
1.-THE world is not growing worse. Blu,
the church of today surely needs ar
awakening to her opportunities. Mems
souls are hungry and we fail to at al
times minister to their wants. I do moi
mean to say, understand, that there II
no such thing as healing by faith.
have seen incontrovertible evidences OF
it. But such healing comes slowly, not
all at once. 1t does not happen, and
the healer and the healed do not herald
1t abroad. They are not seeking noto.
. riety, and theirs are not the cases thai
find their way In public print.
$50 we close as we begun in our sur
vey Of this question:: Mans liberty II
measured by the depth Of his convic.
tons If we find him mentally unbal.
anced, then there Is law that car
place him under proper restraint. If we