The daily sentinel., 1903-03-03
Lecture Last Night.


night by Rev. Becker, of the Congre
gational church, at the Presbyterian
church ON Law Enforcement and
Democracy -
1t was really one of the best of the
many good lectures that havs been
delivered here in the last year. The
house was crowded to listen to the
reverend gentleman and there was not
person who was the least bit tired
during his delivery, In fact. notwith-
standing that Rev. Becker spoke for an
hour and half. he held his audience
of most attentive listeners until he
uttered the last word.
The lecture was delivered under the
auspices OF the ministerial alliance of
this city and was certainly good
beginning.
Rev. Becker spoke in the beginning
of his address of present-day condi-
tions with those of one hundred
years ago. ''This is period,'' he
said when the storms ot lawlessne IS
and self seeking are stretching to
their utmost tension the cables which
bind us to the traditions and princi-
piles of our forefathers. The keenness
of the struggle for existence presses
increasing numbers into the ranks of
the criminal classes. There was
small temptation for a man to steal
or swindle when boundless forests
were filled with game and fertile
fields were always open to the man
who would till them. This condition
is gone forever. Our resources are
today largely in the hands of our cap
tains of industry And he who would
toll must say to their owners BY your
leave The speaker believed that
the increase in crime was due to
changed conditions rather than to in
creased viciousness.
The speaker traced the development
| of man from his savage state when
brute strength gave personal liberty to
the strongest through the various
stages of his upward career until he
| had learned to surrender some of the
rights not necessary to his existence
in order to affect combination with
his fellows and gain protection which
he could not do without. Here was
| the beginning of Civil liberty. -
Soon. the stronger mentally began
TO wonder why thev could not ''eat
thier cake and keep it too And
because of his superior cunning the
one who could lead in defence or
foray, the knowing man. became
the ''koenig" or king. Kings. orig
| inalIy, were not the cause of oppres-
sion and tyranny but the reverse.
They were in the inevitable order of
evolution till all men had attained
the ''king degree -
The speaker then traced the growth
of government through the various
stages of monarchy with their in
creasing freedom. as mems capacities
for self direction and self government
increased.
The thought of personal liberty
which i'll it's extreme means civil an
archy is still strong in each one.
Most of us still regard law as tyrant
keeping us from our own. From our
earliest childhood we have fought
against it. Law kept us from the
cookey jar, the jam pot, the swim
ming hole. 1t stood ON the brink OF
every indulgence threatening us with
aches and pains and decrepitude if we
disobeyed its mandates Happy the
man who has learned that '1ength
of days and long life and peace are
found but in obedience to law. The
speaker then contrasted at considerable
length the various phases of personal
and civil liberty. The basic princi
pies of democracy. he said, was that
right of the Individual ceases where
the rights of the community begin.
Whatever is detrimental to the COM
munity in relation to its health. its
morals. its property. or even its con-
venience. cannot be right of any indi-
vidual in civilized society. And
whenever the will of a majority of
the citizens. proprelv expressed in
form of law is thwarted or law fails
of execution, there republic no long
er exists but anarchy prevails.