The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-09-27

-DeLtcF SdpDdtH ODScfVduCS OESSus
The Rev. DIR. Erdman preached a
strong sermon last Sunday morning
based on the assassination of Presi-
dent Mckinley, and which in response
to numerous requests Tho Chronicle
gladly publishes in full as follows:
1t has seemed to me proper, before
the impressions of the horrid crime
which has shocked the civilized world
and plunged our whole land into pro-
foundest sorrow, pass away, to impress
one important lesson from it all upon
our hearts and consciences. ] refer to
the responsibility of the shameless deed
of the cowardly assassin.
1t is very easy to charge the crime
upon the man himself and be content
with the punishment due him, and then
let the awful deed pass into history; or
we may content ourselves by holding
those responsible anarchists like him
self-of whose wicked and senseless
teachings he is the tool and exponent.
And surely it is high time that some
thing be done by legislation to make the
recurrence of such crime well nigh
impossible
But, while this may be we'll enough
in its way, the evil to be remedied lies
deeper and more widespread. The ma
tion'c ssDox, of generalization, o,,d v,rox1ar.
which on Thursday last bowed the peo.
pie of the whole land in prayer and sor-
row, as never before in all its history,
will have been but meaningless form,
unless out of it there come real heart
searchings and true revival of indi-
yidual and civic righteousness. The
monstrous evil of anarchism- liberty de-
generated icto license and lawlessness-
which we all now SO hotly deplore is
not confined to the few misguided minds
who oppose all law and government, or
to the unhindered and popularly patron
lied circulation of what is called ''yel-
low journalism;" the same evil spirit is
is exhibited unwittingly it may be-in
the outrageous denunciations and villi-
flying of the personal character and mo-
tives of men in public Office or candi.
dates for such too commonly found in
the utterances of men in periodicals of
recognized reputable standing. Men
and periodicals that strangely enough
seem not TO be able, or at least willing
to discriminate between the personal
character and sincerity of motive of
public men and their acts and policies
which may be open to or tirism
1t surely ought to be possible for men
in high official position to entertain
views and advocate measures which you
and l may hold-and, if you please, just
ly hold--in aversion, and yet themselves
be actuated by sincere and conscientious
motives and honestly formed convictions.
If this be not so, might not the same un-
generous and cruel criticisms and ma
ligning of personal character be passed
upon the critics themselves? For ex-
ample, how would it sound to denounce
every man who honestly held views ad-
verse to the policy Ct the government
on the question of the tariff, or the
Spanish war or the complicated problem
of the Philippines how would it sound,
ask, to denounce every such opponent
as stool or tyranU' to be writ ON 'the
scroll of everlasting shame" as a ''dan-
gerous scoundrel," a 'speciously pious
fraud" Methodist turned brigand, :"
and SO on? Every one of these epithets
was hurled at our martyred President,
not by the vile and debased creatures of
yellow journalism" pandering to the
vilest instincts of degenerate minds, but
by men Of high standing in the field of
reputable journalism. in literature, and
high public position. What else than
some such awful deed of assassination
could be expected of the miserable
wretch who blindly carried to its logical
result the spirit of spite and godIessness
which lies behind all such malicious at
tacks upon the personal character of the
chief magistrate of the nation? 1t goes
without saying, that free speech and a
free press lie at the very foundation of a
great Republic like ours, and no shack
les must ever be put upon the utmost
freedom of opinion and expression with
regard to measures and policies which
concern the high interest of the nation,
but this is quite another thing from
holding up to ridicule and scorn the
men themselves who, however mis-
takenly, advocate such measures and
policies. To call man a fool and a
scoundrel who differs from me in his
opinions is ineffably mean and vile.
Nor is this all, what but this same
spirit OF lawlessness reveals itself in the
frequent outbursts of cruelty and tyran-
NY, where whole communities trample
under foot all law and orderly processes
Of government, and weak, blind and
cruel vengeance on some miserable das-
tard? Lynch law -mob-law - Wher-
ever it prevails is lawles snees, is anarchy,
is treason against human and divine
government. Nor are these the only
counts in the indictment. You and ]
have wondered with sorrow Of heart,
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