Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-07-26

sometimes II seems to me as if society
were going back to the state of morals
of Herculaneum, when it sculptured its
vileness on pillars and temple wall and
nothing but the lava Of u burning noun
tain could hide the immensely of crime.
At what time God will rise up and eXtir-
pate these evils upon society l know not,
nor whether he will do it by fire or hurri-
cane or earthquake; but a holy God l do
not think will stand it much longer. 1
believe the thunderbolts are kissing hot
and that when God comes to chastise the
community for these sins, against which
he has uttered himself more bitterly than
against any other, the fate of SOdom and
GOmorrah will be tolerable as compared
with the fate of our modern society,
which knew better, but did worse.
We want about 10000 pulpits in Amer
lea to thunder, "All adulterers and whore
mongers shall have their place in the hell
that burneth with fire and birthstone,
which is the second death" It is hell on
earth and hell forever. We have got to
understand that iniquity on Columbia
heights or Fifth avenue or Beacon hill is
as damnable in the sight Of God as it is
in the slums. Whether 1t has canopied
couch of cider down or dwells amid the
putridity Of a low tenement house, God
is after it in his vengeance. Yet the pull
pit of the Christian church has been so
cOwed down on this subject that it hardly
dares speak, and men are almost apollo
getic when they read the Ten Command
ments.
The Sacredness of Life.
Then look at the destinations thrown
around assassination. There are in all
communities men who have taken the
lives of others unlawfully, not as exc
cutioners of the law, and they go scot
free. You say they had their prOvoca-
lions. God gave life, and he alone has
right to take it, and he may take it by
visitation of providence or by an execu-
toner of the law, who is his messenger.
But when a man assumes that divine pre-
negative be touches the lowest depth Of
| crime.
Society is alert for certain kinds Of
murder. If a citizen going along the road
at night is waylaid and slain by a rObber,
we all want the villain arrested and exc
cutcd. For all garroting. for all beating
! out of life by a club or an AK or a slung-
shot, the law has quick spring and heavy
stroke; but you know that when men get
afiluent and high position and they avenge
! their wrongs by taking the lives of others,
great sympathy is excited. lawyers plead,
ladies weep. judge halts, jury is bribed
and the man goes free. II the verdict
happen to be against him, new trial is
called on through some technicalty, and
they adjourn for witnesses that never
come and adjourn and adjourn until the
| community has forgotten all about 1t, and
then the prison door opens and the MUIR
derer goes free.
Now, If capital punishment be right, I
say let the life of the polished murderer
go with the life of the vulgar assassin.
Let us have no partially of gallows, no
aristQcracy of electracutiop chair. Do moi
let us float back to barbarism, when every
man was his own judge, jury and eXecg-
TONER, and that man had the supremacy
who had the sharpest knifP and the
strongest arm and the quickest step and
the stealthiest revenge. He who willfully
and in hatred takes the life of another is
murderer, | care not what the provoca
lion or the circumstances. He may BIZ
cleared by an enthusiastic courtroom, he
may be sent by the government Of the
United States as minister to some foreign
court, or modern literature may polish tn,
crime until il looks like heroism; but il
the sight of God murder is murder, ant
the Judgment day will so reveal it.
Now, do not be fascinated by thu
glamour thrown over crime of Whateve
sort. Because others have habits tina
seem brilliant but yet at the same tim
are wicked, do not choose such faults