The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-04-02
CARNIVAL OF CRIME.
Synopsis of a Sermon by DR.. G. S.
Blackwell, Pastor OF First BAPTIST
Church, Wilmington.

Wilmington, March S-Dr. Calvin
S. Blackwell, pastor of the First Bap-
tist church, tonight preached to a
large congregation upon the theme,
Murder, or the Way of Cain,' with
special reference to several recent
tragedies in North Carolina and their
outcome i'll the courts. DR.. Blackwell
took for his text: "rhou shalt do no
murder" as found in Exodus, 2O-13.
In part, he said:
"A carnival OF crime reigns through
out the land. The increase of homi-
eide is fearful to contemplate A reck-
less disregard for human life is grow
ing upon the people. Murder trials
are long drawn out, convictions sell
dom secured and punishments ridic-
ulously light. All Of which tokens a
scared civic conscience
What has wrought this evil in us?
A gradual yielding to the insidious
temptation to live God-forgetting
lives. To handle Gods holy com
mandments lightly; to break them
and smile in the doing it, because it
is the fashion.
I'VE almost break our necks to
break the first commandment, by
making an idol OF the almighty dol
lar Who thinks it a crime before
heaven to break the third command
ment, by taking the name of the
Lord thy God i'll vain?' AS to the
fourth commandments, to keep the
Sabbath day holy the rich in their
sports, public carriers, drug stores,
saloons, theatres, ball games, prize
fights, goddess amusements, worldly
recreations and newspapers all alike
vie with each other in trampling it
under impious feet. The fifth com
mandment to honor thy father and
thy mother rests easily on the minds
of he youth of the land.
"As to the seventh commandment,
it's the little Joker in the higher cir
cles. as the divorce courts testify, and
among the poor the scarlet letter
has almost lost its power to shame.
The eighth, thou shalt not steal,
only carries Il penalty in petit lar
ceny If the thief has the brain and
brass to steal a Legislature Or con-
gressional committee, and then by
bribery and indirection steal millions
from the people his reward is ap-
pliiuse instead of punishment. The
ninth has sad commentary written
on the law books of every country,
where perjury smells On every page.
Men bear false witness against the
State for self-interest without qualm
Of conscience.
''If the private and public conscience
is thus debauched every day by break
ing nine out of ten OF the command
ments of God, why should a man
pause before breaking the other one
by committing murder?
THE reason why it is so hard to
get twelve men to convict for murder
is they themselves haven no conscience
about breaking nine OF Gods com
mandments, and they want to be
easy on the fellow who breaks the
other one.
"Men have lost sight of Gods law.
Murder is to them only a crime
against the State The thunders OF
Sinai have lost their terrors to the
majority of people.
IF we find remedy we must go
back to practical godliness, and build
up in the hearts of men a holy fear
before Almighty God.
"1.) That man is made in the i'm
age of God and it is sacrilege to mar
that divine image.
"(2.) That God has a specific pur-
pose for every individual of the race,
| and it is a challenge of His sovereign
ty for any human being to remove
that man by homicide, unless the
man has forfeited his own life by tax
ing that of another.
"(3.) That man is of indefinitely
more value in the eyes of God than
| money or property This would pre-
vent railroads from killing 6, ,OOOpeo-
| pie IL year, more than half of whom
are sacrificed to save expense and i'll
| crease dividends on stolen or watered
stock. 1t would prevent owners OF
tenement houses from slaughtering
| the innOcents in order to increase
rent rolls. 1t would prevent commu-
mites from licensing the sale of liquor
| for revenue when it is a known fact
that one murder comes out of every
twenty barrels of whiskey from the
time it starts in the making till it
| ends in the drinking.
''Property has the right ofway and
persons must get out OF the way or
| be crushed. A few months ago in
| Wilmington an old man was convict
ed of arson: he had set fire to a little
old store and was sent to the peni-
| tentiary for ten years. He tried to
destroy Il little property. In Char
lotte a few months ago a man, half
| drunk on whiskey the city had re-
ceived pay for selling, went to a man s
house and killed him and he is sent
to the penitentiary for five years.
Property and person. In the light OF
| these facts which is the more sacred
in the public estimation? The image
of God is put on Il person, the image
of Caesar is on property. The State
and the whole social structure is in
peril until this estimate of man and
money is reversed The teacher at
the desk, the press and the pulpit
must unite to enthrone God in the
| civic conscience and restore the Deca-
logue to personal respect.
| The Great King of Kings
! Hath in the table of his law commanded,
| That thou shalt do no murder. Wilt thou
then
! Spurn at His edict, and fulfill a mans?
| Take heed for he holds vengeance in His hand
/ To hurl upon their heads that break Hi'
law