The representative., 1900-11-29
PULPIT'S VOICE
AGAINST CRIME
CHICAGO PASTORS DENOUNCE AU-
THORITIEs FOR NOT RIGIDLY
ENFORCING THE LAWS.
Spirit of War Is ArOused-Declares
Jehovah May Make Lake Michigan
His instrument of Vengeance
ON Chicago.

Pastors of various churches through
out Chicago referred from the pulpit yes
terday to the city's carnival of crime.
and sought to place on each person an
individual responsibility to crush it out.
the city hall and police force generally
were censured, and Chief Kipley in par
ticular. 1t was stated in various pulpits
that Chicago was never before stirred
up over crime to the extent that it is at
present.
Instances were cited showing where
| women, who by force of circumstances
| were unable to reach their homes before
the shades of evening advanced, had
been beaten and robbed. Others, it was
stated to more than one congregation.
have been robbed in broad daylight, and
the offenders have been able to elude
| arrest. No remedy was put forth by
| any of the ministers beyond the advice
| to their parishioners to go armed and
! prepared for the assault of highway
| men.
| CITIZENS IN WAR TEMPER.
"The boldness which sin has assumed
| in this city in the recent outbreak of
| crime and the defiant position of vice
has aroused all law-abiding citizens TO
temper of war" This was the manner
in which Rev. Johnson Henderson, of
the Armour Mission, referred to the stu
alton in which the people Of the city
! have been placed.
1T has not only called forth a pro-
| test from all, but has prompted the in
| quiry on the part of many as to the prob
able cause and the remedy. The respon-
sibility is shifted from the city hall to
| the courts, and from the police force to
! the politicians, and while the question
| of responsibility is being debated the
| thugs and thieves have time to escape.
I'm the place of exerting himself in
| the manner which his office demands,
| the chief of police is busy trying to con-
vince Others that they are responsible
instead of himself. Debate is often a
| Dor is sometimes carried so far as to
cause criminal confusion.
QUESTION OF THE HOUR.
"The agitation serves to emphasize the
old question:: What shall we do, save
the man or clean the city?' One re-
| former says: Preach the gospel and let
| politics and the police force regulate
| themselves. Another says: This is
nonsense, for it is social conditions that
make criminals and while the gospel is
! being preached the dens and dives and
moral death traps of the city defeat the
! best efforts that can be made for mans
! salvation, and make degradation and
crime inevitable.' Their cry is: Save
| the city, and the salvation of the soul
and the safety of the people will take
care of themselves
| "The truth evidently lies between
these extremes. Environment is an ele
| ment in human life that the gospel can
not ignore. On the other hand, neither
the city nor society can be saved by So
| L.
CITY AWAITS A LEADER.
Men cannot be redeemed in masses.
The Jews wanted to be saved by state
laws and civil power, but Christ taught
them that they needed salvation more
than they needed state laws. This city,
at the present time, is frantically appeal
ing to some power, it scarcely knows
what, to stop the carnival of crime, regu-
late the saloon and close up the mi l.
night dens and dives; but the despair
with which this cry is uttered shows how
| dependant good government is on good
| men.
| Leaders count for more than schemes
] and systems. There is no surer remedy
for corruption and crime than an awak-
ened public conscience and the courage
! of honest convictions. Reformers need
to be reformed. The fanatic who sees
no salvation nor safety apart from his
hobby must step aside, while unholy al
liances must be avoided. The city can
not be saved without the man."
l onONEn ..
| Methodists in Engewood were stirred
by the sermon preached by Rev. FRANK
C Bruner, pastor of the Second Engle-
wood Methodist Episcopal church. His
theme for the evening was, THE Tears
| of Christ for Wicked Chicago" and his
text was taken from the words in Luke:
"And when He came near He beheld the
city and wept over it,
The pastor said in part:
1.-The wickedness of Chicago is appa,-
| ling. The sameness of sin and the un-
changeableness of the divine character
retouches the old sweet picture of the
| text into realism. What a sad murmur
| of the bitter stream of pathos in that
everything Christ over the tremendous
wickedness in city life. The interces-
sion of the Man of Galilee at the throne
now is for the sins of Chicago. A great