The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-15

shame this playing hrazeny Tor money ~
the private p0llol--for progressive caro-
playing has progressed thnt ihri anu ny
moral sentiment OF once chnslg at,u ,Iba
low level ~ aoQncsccncc If not OF con-
donation this Is not gambling but merry
an innocent social pastime. Snch again
is the distinction II not the difference.
Again there has been sentiment ul
'lihcrty in this free land OF ours
boastcd liberty Of conscience 'sneech'
and "press' which has permitted IN Nlo
lation of the Christian law OF E9dl me
opeu cNTrt sion OF diStcspecl nhl u'snou"r
to digulties II Is perhaps only the empty
thundcrings of political campaign strlie
which nrt forgotten Us soon as tue storm
is over but 4 Is under the coH 6c I abss
finds sanction for his. contempt Of ,goE,,dfIh.
ment and license for his open fulmlnatlo'S
of reasonable hatred for governors ana i
archlst is set on tro with the patflOllc
duty of Kidding the people OF tSr"ht ANA
The quit rests Immediately upon one
and may be trncenhic TO others, but WIZ
viii say that that one Is not the natural
soricv in which he has llyedI
The crime Itself may be the frultnRe o.
Il plant thai is exotic nitl yet, aiih9 4n
tranEplanted from u foreign cline u hhqS
It's congenial conditions for nourishmehi IN
a soil ~ dlsloyal indlgnitlcs anu IN an az,
mospherc of liberty that has degenera,.ei,
into license. There is believe II, q genera
stock of moran evil In the world 10 WhiCh
we AMI contribute or from which, by the
grace Of God, some Of MS diminish; vast
and fertile tradition Of ung0dlineSs, oI low
motives low aims. low desires, low sense
Of duty. or no sense Of duty ~ an ~ IS
the creation Of the age; each geher4l99,h
does something for II, and rach slnElo iiln
vlual Of each generation does tit ne uots
not advlsedly refuse 10 do sol MS snalH "
augmcntng e. u hangs above soci i,,Hty
Ike the cloud OF black smoke above u 'il2
aud which the chimney of enca sH9d
dwelling helps 10 Increase ~ " lhe ~
tainted atmosphere we bfeatne' " tpurh'ee
an Of US. And II forms the mean" on
contact between ourselves and what are
called the criminal classes. Ana thus u IL
that when you or J. even in lesser ih ht1,a p
do or say what our conscience coldtlnhh,
we do really make contribution 20 tnul
general stock or fund Of evil which. unher
other social conditions than our own pro-
we may have no traceable connection with
this or that criminal; we may peisuane
ourselves that he Is utterly OUTSIDE ne
scope and reach OF our Influence nut INC
| truth Is we have contributed BY remote
| aud subtle channels our little sonethlhg 70
make him what he 49, ana u we dIiP ,ies
! we ought TO feel thai his error, the stan
! OF his crime Is, In some sense' our own;
| what then, my friends, should pc the
! crimci The first should be, ] would say,
! h constant effort 20 prevent 1t. 10 dry up
J its springs. TO cut out us roots me
church II the organized conscience Of the
{ people and the conscience OF serious CHRIS
! dams Is uneasy at the presence OF immorali-
| IS md crime
Surh conditions they know reflect upon
| themselves, and hence schools, rcforma-
| tories. retreats and open doors, hence the
| self-denylng work OF conseeraied men ara
| women. hence all the machinery Of Chris
| tian bcnedcence. They represent the eiforl
| Of the Christian conscience to diminish, u
| mon responsibility for crime. They Issue
| from the acuteness Of suffering which y
felt by all sound members OF the, whole
| such a way ~ loading at crime and crimi
mails should stimulate MS 10 the EFFORT e
| live uearer 10 Sol ourselves. IL we ear
| moi infuenee legislation. II we can no
| found educational and reformatcry instltu
lions for the relief OF. the restoration Of TN
| morally sick and spiritually wounded, W
can do something within our own htnl